Michael Keaton Refused to Allow Michelle Pfeiffer to Be Cast in the First BATMAN Film
Michael Keaton will forever be known as one of the great Batman actors, having played the role in the 1989 film Batman, as well as its sequel, Batman Returns in 1992. The movies were the beginning of an era of great superhero movies, and many of the A-list stars attached to the movies have taken their roles with them through their careers, with fans remembering how much fun it was to watch them bring the comic book characters to life.
One of those characters was Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, played by three-time Oscar nominated actress Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. But that wasn’t her first time attempting to join the franchise. The actress was actually up for the role of photojournalist and Bruce Wayne love interest Vicki Vale, after Sean Young (Blade Runner), who was the original choice for the role, was injured in an equestrian accident and had to drop out.
Robert Wuhl, the actor who portrayed reporter Alexander Knox in Batman, revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:
“To put a little fly in the ointment, Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer had previously dated and broken up. At the time, Michael told me he was trying to get back with his ex-wife. Keaton was firmly, and underline firmly, against that casting of Pfeiffer, and he and Peters got into it.”
Actress Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential) ultimately ended up in the role of Vicki Vale in the film, but Pfeiffer was not done with the Batman franchise. In the 1992 sequel, actor Annette Bening (The Grifters) planned to play Catwoman but dropped out of the project when she learned of her pregnancy.
As we know, the role of Catwoman ended up going to Pfeiffer, and fans loved her performance. According to Best Life, “This time, her casting was an apparent non-issue for Keaton, who had finalized his divorce from McWilliams in 1990.”
Cheatsheet reports that Michael Keaton was married to actor Caroline McWilliams (Soap) from 1982-90. Pfeiffer was married to actor Peter Horton (Thirty Something) from 1981-88. Keaton and Pfeiffer dated for approximately five months in 1988 while Keaton was still married.
While Keaton had the period of time in which he was uncomfortable working with Pfeiffer, it seems as though he was able to work through it, and Pfeiffer has had nothing but praise for the Batman actor, telling ET Online, “It was great actually working with him having had a history because I was really out of my element. Also, the fact that he had done this kind of picture before, and I didn’t know what to expect. I felt really comfortable with him. I felt really safe with him. I could go to him and say, ‘Why am I feeling so awful? I don’t know what’s going on.’ And he would explain it to me. ‘I know. I went through it on the first one.'”
Keaton has never remarried. Pfeiffer married television producer David E. Kelley in 1993, and in November of this year, they will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.