Michael Keaton was only cast in 1989’s ‘Batman’ because they needed a star of the same calibre of Jack Nicholson as the Joker.
The movie’s producer executive Michael Uslan has revealed he and director Tim Burton were considering an "unknown" actor for the part of the caped-crusader until Nicholson was hired and they felt he would "wipe the screen" with a none-celebrity.
Uslan explained: "It was Jack’s hiring that convened Tim that we could no longer think about an unknown actor for the role of Batman, because Nicholson would "wipe the screen with him".
"And that is what led him to Michael Keaton… the final piece of the puzzle in this revolutionary, ground-breaking movie ever to deal with comic book superheroes in a dark and serious way.
"The movie changed Hollywood and changed the world culture in terms of its perception of comic book and superheroes."
The filmmaker also revealed they spent a decade finding the perfect cast but Nicholson since 1980 they knew Nicholson was the only man for the role of Batman’s nemesis.
He told SFX magazine: "Over a period of more than 10 years, many, many names were bandied about.
"That doesn’t mean any o them in particular were taken too seriously.
"They were the fodder of many discussions.
"In some cases, availability or price may have been looked into, but since May 1980 for me Jack Nicholson was the only actor who could play the Joker."
Michael Keaton only cast in Batman to match Jack Nicholson’s calibre
