Summary
Releasing in 1989 and ushering in an entire era ofDC Universemovies,Batmanwas a colossal success anda genuine pop culture phenomenon that sparked fan fervor worldwide, resulting in what the media called Batmania- in no small part because of its talented and iconic cast. The film’s following has been so dedicated that, to this day, there areBatman controversies fans seem unwilling to address. Still, following the campy 1960s live-action series and film,Batmanwas the first big-screen adaptation of the character that felt true to his roots, and was a major influence on all superhero films that followed.
1989 was a time when VHS tapes could cost up to $90, and internet streaming was still decades away. As a result,the cinema was a more important and magical place. Even ifsome reviewers receivedBatmansimilar to DCEU reviewsof today, audiences flocked to the cinema in droves to see the Tim Burton film repeatedly. The film’s legacy has endured for decades, and many audiences still listBatmanas one of the greatest superhero films ever made. This legacy makes seeing where the 1989Batmanmovie cast are at now all the more noteworthy.
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10Charles Roskilly
Young Bruce Wayne
Born in 1979, Charles Roskilly was only ten years old when he played the young version of Bruce Wayne. While the role portrayed here would go on to be repeated in future incarnations of the Batman character, this was the first big-budget look at the murder of Wayne’s parents in the alley. In this, the actor solidified an important part of the Batman visual canon that is referred to in successive films to this day.
Roskilly does not appear to have worked as an actor much after this time. As is common for many children who appear in the industry at a young age,Roskilly has instead moved on to other work, in this case, in television production. He has since worked as a Researcher and Assistant Producer, among other roles, on reality series likeLove IslandandCelebs Go Dating, and seemingly has no plans regarding returning to acting.
9David Baxt
Thomas Wayne
David Baxt may have been the first actor to inspire multiversal fan theories in the DC Universe. This is because, before portraying Thomas Wayne in a short role inBatman, the actor appeared as a burglar in the 1978Supermanmovie, in a move that naturally has led some fans to theories about their interconnectivity.
David Baxt continued to have a career in acting for several years after the 1989Batman, appearing in one-off roles in television series likeTropical HeatandMaking Noise. The actor has since disappeared from acting following a role inThe Man Who Criedin 2000. A return of Baxt as theSupermanburglar or as Thomas Wayne in the DCU would be a subtle nod to the most knowledgeable fans, but considering the actor’s seeming move away from performing, this seems unlikely at the current time.
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8Robert Wuhl
Alexander Knox
An Emmy award-winning writer and actor Robert Wuhl makes a short, humorous, and memorable appearance as Alexander Knox inBatman.The character was not adapted from any source materialand appears as a co-worker to Vicki Vale who develops a crush on her. With a unique charm, Wuhl compels in the scenes he appears in as a much less appealing match for Vale than Bruce Wayne.
Robert Wuhl has continued to have a storied career in movies and television since 1989, and has even reprized the role of Knox in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event onSupergirl. FollowingBatman, the actor appeared inThe BodyguardandOpen Seasonbeforestarring inArli$$for multiple seasons. Now, the comic actor’s career appears to be more selective, appearing in unique projects likeThe George Lucas Talk Showand theHome Movie: The Princess Brideretelling in recent years.
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7Jack Palance
Carl Grissom
Sadly, Jack Palance passed away from cancer in 2006 after a long career in cinema. Born in 1919 asVolodymyr Ivanovich Palahniuk,the actor began working in boxing under the name Jack Brazzobefore his successful career in the film industry, appearing in dozens of works and playing characters as iconic as Dracula.
Palance continued acting for the rest of his life, appearing in movies and television until 2004. In 1991, following two previous nominations much earlier in his career,Jack Palance notably won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role inCity Slickers. While his role in Batman as a crime lord is an original character created for the film, it draws from various figures throughout comic book history, such as Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni.
6Jerry Hall
Alicia Hunt
One of the most successful models of the 1970s, Jerry Hall was cast inBatmanas a character who worked in part as a prototype of the forthcoming Harley Quinn. She was alsoinspired by Black Mask’s girlfriend, Circe, from the DC comics. InBatman, Hall plays a romantic partner to the Joker, who is also romantically linked to Grissom. The character is treated poorly and abused until she is pushed to the point of committing acts of violence herself.
Jerry Hall has since had a short career in acting, appearing in various television series and commercials. She has also remained a media mainstay for her relationships, including a marriage to Rupert Murdoch and a long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she has four children. Hall has mostly remained a public figure rather than an actor in recent years, publishing an autobiography in 2010.
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5Billy Dee Williams
Harvey Dent
One of the biggest setups that never paid off in comic book movie history was the casting of Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent. The actor, perhaps best known as Lando Calrissian in theStar Warssaga,was cast with the intent of appearing in multiple films and transforming into the villainous Two-Face. However, the actor was only contracted for the first feature, and the role was subsequently recast, with Tommy Lee Jones eventually playing the villain inBatman Forever.
Williams has since gone on to have a successful career, appearing in celebrated roles for which he has been nominated for various television awards. As the first Black actor to hold a major role in Star Wars and based on his role inBatman, the actor has remained important throughout the years.He has even had the chance to reappear as Two-Face in a voice role inThe Lego Batman Movieand has reprized his role as Lando inRise of Skywalker.
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4Pat Hingle
Commissioner James Gordon
After a long career of character roles in films likeThe Quick and the DeadandHang ‘Em High, Pat Hingle passed away in 2009. However, the character left behind a significant legacy for the Jim Gordon character, appearing inBatmanandBatman Returnsbefore continuing as the same character in the following Joel Schumacher sequels. Similar to how J.K. Simmons was such an ideal fit for Jameson that he had been supplanted from the Raimi Spider-Man films into the MCU, so Hingle was for many years the only performer who could embody James Gordon.
Leaving behind a legacy for other performers like Gary Oldman, Jeffery Wright, and even the aforementioned J.K. Simmons to follow, Pat Hingle significantly impacted superhero films with his ornery performance as the police commissioner. He continued to act for the rest of his life, appearing in films likeMuppets From SpaceandTalladega Nights.
3Kim Basinger
Vicki Vale
A superstar of the era, Kim Basinger was omnipresent in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing in high-profile films and modeling campaigns. Despite a compelling screen presence,starring as a Bond girl and having a public relationship with the musician Prince turned her into a tabloid mainstay.InBatman, Basinger plays Bruce Wayne’s love interest, journalist Vicki Vale, who is kidnapped by the Joker. This character is pulled directly from the comics, and their relationship was set to continue in the sequel.
Unfortunately, Basinger did not return inBatman Returns, and the chemistry she shared with her costar inBatmanwas not revisited. Still, she has gone on to have a successful career in the following years, appearing in all kinds of movies and shows, includingL.A. Confidential,8 Mile, andFifty Shades Darker. She has most recently been working on other multimedia projects, including short films released as NFTs.
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2Jack Nicholson
The Joker
Few actors have had the notable career that Jack Nicholson has.The actor was such a star that his name was the first on the marquee forBatman, appearing above Keaton. His star power was so significant that even the role itself was shaped for him, with changes to the Joker character to better align with a Nicholson performance. A more stout, less obnoxious Joker met Nicholson in the middle, crafting a performance that made the movie what it was. To this day, Nicholson is seen as one of the best comic book movie villains for his strange charm and devious presence.
For years before and afterBatman, Nicholson continued to grace the silver screen with his world class charisma. He won numerous Academy Awards, andappeared in over 80 films over his lengthy career from 1958 to 2010. The actor now appears to be retired, only occasionally appearing in public or interviews.
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1Michael Keaton
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Michael Keaton remains one of the most in-demand actors working today. WhileMichael Keaton’s Batmaninitially was a controversial pick for the 1989Batmanmovie and comic book fans put out petitions to have him removed from the project,the actor successfully proved all his doubters wrong and provided one of the most beloved iterations of the Dark Knight to this day.
In the following years, Michael Keaton proved himself to be more than the comic actor he was perceived as at the time. Keaton has received an Academy Award nomination for his starring role inBirdman, and acclaim for his role of The Vulture in the MCU.
Recently, Keaton has been working with Tim Burton again on the upcomingBeetlejuice 2after reappearing as Batman in the DC Universe in 2023’sThe Flash.He has also recently directed his second film,Knox Goes Away. The actor has continued to develop and change through the years since his appearance inBatman, but the DC role truly defined him and set him up for a memorable Hollywood career that persists to this day.
Batman
Cast
Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s trusty butler named Alfred.
