Michael Keaton unbothered by 'Batgirl' cancellation, appreciates paycheck and praises directors

Michael Keaton recently revealed in an interview with GQ that he wasn't upset when Warner Bros. decided to shelve the Batgirl movie, in which he reprised his iconic role as Batman. The $90 million film, which was completed and in post-production, was scrapped in August 2022 as part of the studio's cost-cutting measures. Despite the industry shock, Keaton expressed indifference about the decision. "No, I didn’t care one way or another. Big, fun, nice check," he said, even making a gesture to indicate money. He also expressed sympathy for the film's directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, stating, "I pull for them. I want them to succeed, and I think they felt very badly, and that made me feel bad. Me? I’m good."

Batgirl was one of two projects set to mark Keaton's return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the other being The Flash, which was released in July 2023 but underperformed at the box office, grossing $271 million worldwide. Keaton, who first portrayed Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns, praised Burton's influence on the superhero genre, stating, "There’s a strong possibility there is no Marvel Universe, there is no DC Universe, without Tim Burton."

Keaton's pragmatic approach to his career was also evident when discussing his work on Birdman, which was widely seen as a comeback role. Keaton rejected this narrative, noting that he had never stopped working. "I never panic. If you get desperate, you’re fucked. Don’t ever get desperate," he advised, underscoring his business-first philosophy in Hollywood.