Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
George Clooney is one of the most respected and well-known actors in the world. TheOceans 11star is known for his suave personality and charming roles in films such asMichael Clayton,The Perfect Storm, andThree Kings. The actor is also an accomplished director and producer and is known for backing Ben Affleck’s Oscar winnerArgo.
While Clooney has seen immense success, he has not been spared an embarrassing failure and his failure was colossal. He played Batman in the much-trolled Joel Schumacher’sBatman & Robin, which put to bed the franchise started by Tim Burton. The trauma of the film still haunts Clooney as he mentioned that he will not let his wife and kids watch the film.
Also read:“Have you ever seen it?”: George Clooney Can’t Stand ‘Fake’ Fans Praising the Original Ocean’s 11 Starring Frank Sinatra Over His Remake
George Clooney In Joel Schumacher’sBatman & Robin
After Tim Burton and Michael Keaton left theBatmanfranchise, Joel Schumacher was hired to directBatman Forever,the third installment in the popular series. The film starred Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne and also featured Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as the primary antagonists. Though the film is campy now, it was a commercial success.
The box office success ofBatman Foreverprompted WB Studios to commission a sequel immediately. Schumacher was hired again and he wrote the script ofBatman & Robinwith Akiva Goldsman. Kilmer reportedly left the film as the production clashed with his filmThe Saint.George Clooneyreplaced Kilmer as Wayne after Schumacher saw him inFrom Dusk Till Dawn.
Also read:Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ocean’s Prequel Reportedly Directly Linked to George Clooney and Sandra Bullock to Keep Franchise Alive
Schumacher reportedly wanted to cast William Baldwin in the role but was then convinced by Clooney. The director reportedly felt that Clooney resembled Bruce Wayne from the comics the best and that he brought humor to the material. The infamous nipple suit that Clooney wears was reportedly a repurposed suit from Kilmer’s inBatman Forever.
The film was critically panned upon release and only earned $238 million against a $160 million budget. It was considered a commercial disaster and plans for a fifth film titledBatman Unchainedwere promptly canceled. There would be no live-action Batman films until Christopher Nolan rebooted the franchise withBatman Begins.
Also read:Even Christopher Nolan Failed in The Dark Knight in a Way 1 DC Show Didn’t
George Cloney Is Embarrassed Of His Batman Role
Anyone who has been subjected toBatman & Robincannot blame George Clooney when he says that he is embarrassed by the film. It is hard to believe that creative decisions such as the infamous nipple Batsuit, the Batman credit card, and the numerous ice-puns by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze were approved by the studio. However, despite more than two decades passing, it is still Clooney’s cross to bear.
In an interview withVariety, George Clooney mentioned that he believed he destroyed the franchise by starring in the film. When asked whether he would be reprising his role inThe Flash, which had Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck’s Batmen in the mix, Clooney said that he was not approached by the makers (which turned out to be a lie). He said,
“They didn’t ask me…When you destroy a franchise the way I did, usually they look the other way when ‘The Flash’ comes by.”
His wife, Amal Clooney, chimed in saying that he does not allow her or his children to watch the film. Clooney responded,
“There are certain films I just go, ‘I want my wife to have some respect for me’…It’s bad when your four-year-old kid goes, ‘This sucks.’ That could be painful.”
George Clooney would reprise the role of Bruce Wayne in the post-credits scene ofThe Flash,although the cameo means nothing as DC Studios’ new chief James Gunn has opted to reboot the entire franchise.
Also read:George Clooney Refused To Be Insulted By a Hypocrite Living in a Gold Tower: “F—k you!”
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
