Michael Keaton dodges Batman questions in new interview: ‘Who the f*** cares?’

‘Let’s talk about things that matter,’ he said

Michael Keaton has dodged questions about Batman in a new interview, asking “who the f*** cares?”

The actor played the DC character in Tim Burton’s 1989 film, returning to play him again in Batman Returns six years later.

Keaton famously rejected $15m (£11m) to play Batman in Batman Forever, with the role eventually going to Val Kilmer.

When asked why this was in a new interview with The Sunday Times Culture magazine, Keaton, 70, said: “I don’t remember; that’s in my past.“It’s 2021 or whatever the f*** it is – who gives a s***? Let’s talk about things that matter.”

He continued by telling the interviewer he had responded in a similar way “years ago” when “someone asked Batman questions”.

“I said, ‘You realise there’s a logjam of bodies floating down a river in Rwanda? Who the f*** cares about Batman?’”

When asked to provide details about his mysterious return as Batman in The Flash, which will be released in 2022, the actor responded: “I’ll be frank, I don’t want to talk about it because it takes the fun away.”

He did reveal that he took “a fair amount” of persuading to reprise the role for the first time in 25 years as it “wasn’t in my consciousness”.

Michael Keaton will reprise the role of Batman in next year’s ‘The Flash’ (Getty Images)

Keaton added: “When it was, it was a question of them calling when they had something.”

The actor will next be seen in Dopesick, an eight-part series about the opioid crisis in America.

It begins in the UK on Star on Disney+ on Friday (12 November) and also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Rosario Dawson, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter and Peter Saarsgard.