Joel Schumacher feels he never should’ve made a Batman sequel. Schumacher has previously apologized for Batman & Robin, the 1997 film often credited with derailing the Dark Knight’s cinematic journey completely.
While both Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns are still widely considered classics of the genre, the two films that followed didn’t enjoy the same success. Schumacher helmed Batman Forever, which starred Val Kilmer in the title part - Michael Keaton had stepped down after Burton was replaced with Schumacher. Kilmer was joined by Chris O’Donnell as the Boy Wonder, along with Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey, as Two-Face and the Riddler, respectively. The movie wasn’t loved by critics or audiences, but did well enough at the box office to warrant a sequel. Batman & Robin was the first of the four films without any involvement from Burton, who was a producer on Batman Forever. Batman & Robin starred George Clooney as the Caped Crusader, while O’Donnell reprised the role of Robin. The movie also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl.
When interviewed by Vulture, Schumacher expressed regret over making Batman sequels. He also responded to the long-held opinion by some that he included gay subtext in Batman & Robin, saying, “If I wasn’t gay, they would never say those things.” Schumacher continued:
Schumacher also mentioned that speculation about Batman and Robin being gay long predates his involvement with the characters. Much of the controversy surrounding the exact nature of the Dynamic Duo’s relationship can be traced back to Fredric Wertham’s infamous 1954 novel, Seduction of the Innocent. The book had a major impact on the entire comics industry, leading to the formation of the Comics Code Authority. Schumacher explained he didn’t include any intentional references to the characters’ sexual preference and he did not think Batman and Robin were gay. He stated, “There were a lot of people who I would say, in one particular community, wanted George Clooney to be gay so badly.” The director also made a point of saying Clooney doesn’t deserve fans’ ire for Batman and Robin. “You know George always says [the failure of] Batman & Robin was his fault. No, it’s not.” Interestingly, Clooney credits Batman and Robin with having a larger impact on his career than any other movie in his filmography. Schumacher was also quick to point out the franchise is far from ruined, saying, “Nothing has ever stopped Batman.”
You know what I think? I shouldn’t have made a sequel, and that’s all there is to it. I learned that sequels are only made for one reason. I’m sure that Batman Forever was the cheapest Batman movie ever made because Val didn’t get a lot of money, Nicole [Kidman] didn’t, Chris O’Donnell didn’t, and I didn’t. Tommy [Lee Jones] got a bit of a payday because he’d just won the Oscar for The Fugitive and Jim Carrey had already done Ace Ventura.
There’s no denying Schumacher’s Batman movies weren’t embraced by fans or critics the way Burton’s were. Batman & Robin, in particular, has received more hate than perhaps any other superhero movie. However, the director is right about one thing: The Dark Knight isn’t going anywhere. Batman has had several very different cinematic takes over the years, some more successful than others. Next up in 2021 is The Batman, which will star Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader.
Next: Every Batman Movie Ranked, Worst To Best
Source: Vulture
