Michael Keaton explains why he dropped out of Batman Forever: ‘It sucked’

The 1995 superhero film was directed by Joel Schumacher

Despite being a box office success, the film was condemned by critics

Anyone who has been to the cinema recently will no doubt have seen numerous posters advertising upcoming superhero films. From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming to Wonder Woman and Logan, Hollywood is producing them thick and fast.

Many of these films owe a huge debt to Tim Burton’s Batman, one of the first mainstream superhero films to feature a slightly more serious, darker tone. Starring as the titular hero was Michael Keaton, who at the time was better known for his comedy roles.

After producing two Batman films together – 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns – both Burton and Keaton dropped out of further sequels. Val Kilmer played the next incarnation of the Dark Knight in Batman Forever, directed by Joel Schumacher.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter while promoting The Founder, Keaton bluntly explained why he dropped out of the sequel: “It sucked.”

Keaton explained that he read the script and met the director, but “knew it was in trouble when [Schumacher] said, ‘Why does everything have to be so dark?’”

Despite being a box office success and featuring an incredible cast (including Nicole Kidman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jim Carrey) Batman Forever was condemned by critics, as was its sequel Batman & Robin, also directed by Schumacher.

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck played the latest incarnation of the Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman – a movie that ended up being the second most pirated film of 2016, coming second place to another superhero outing: Deadpool.