The role: Bruce Wayne/Batman
Who got it? Michael Keaton
Tim Burton considered Bill Murray, amongst others, for the role of the Dark Knight. If it sounds strange to you (and it should), remember that Michael Keaton got his start as a stand-up and was mainly known for comedies like
Mr. Mom and
Night Shift until
Batman. Murray was just as odd a choice as Keaton at the time.
Was this good for Murray’s career?
Hard to say. The role definitely would have bolstered Murray's fame, and he could have played the part straight, but I doubt audiences would have warmed to him as Batman. On the other hand, if Bill Murray's
Batman had succeeded, it would have been easier for him to branch out into dramatic roles in the '90s and kept him at the top of the A-list.
Was this good for the movie?
Yes. Bill Murray would have been fine in the role, but fans and audiences might have been more reluctant to embrace him as a tough crime fighter. Given Murray's habit of refusing to do sequels (the only two he's ever done are
Ghostbusters II and
Garfield 2), he may have left the series even earlier than Michael Keaton did.
