When someone is asked to think of a movie that put a franchise on ice for a while, there’s a good chance that Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin comes to mind…and not just because the word ice was used. And, included in the list of the film’s many, many detractors since its release in 1997 is none other than its Batman himself, George Clooney. He’s referred to the film as an embarrassment, both in terms of how cheesy it went and how bad he felt his performance in it was. But, these days, he’s able to talk about it with a bit of a smile on his face. He hasn’t come to love it exactly, but he is able to laugh along.
Clooney sat down with variety for their line remembrance game. The first of his movies they went with was his DC cult classic, and it seems the actor is finally in a playful mood when talking about the film now that it’s been nearly 30 years. At the very least, he can playfully talk about the nipple-adorned Batsuit.
How Does Clooney Feel About His Bat-adventure All These Years Later?
image courtesy of warner bros.
As is typical of these “Know Their Lines” videos, Variety started off with a softball quote. In this case: “This is why Superman works alone.” Already in a joking mood, the Ocean’s Eleven star says the line came straight from Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Still joking, Clooney said (with his tongue visibly touching a cheek) “I was the best Batman, and you know it, and I know it. And I don’t want to hear anymore sh*t. All those other guys…you know, Batman has nipples, dude. He has nipples. How do you think he feeds the children? The little bats. So, I don’t want to hear anymore bullsh*t. I was the best Batman.”
Then, getting serious, he said the production of Batman & Robin was not the most fun shoot, because of the suit. It was a very painful suit and you couldn’t move. I would be laying on a board and Joel Schumacher would direct you with a microphone with a giant speaker. And he would go: ‘Okay, George, and here we go. And ready, and your parents are dead. You have nothing to live for. And action.’ And they’d just prop me up and I go, ‘I’m Batman.’ And they go, ‘And cut!’ And they drop me back down, and they carry me out on a board.”
Clooney has never been shy when it comes to talking about his experience on Batman & Robin. It’s just, these days, he seems more able to do it with a smile on his face. His tone here is about the same as it was when he talked to Entertainment Tonight in 2023, not long after playing the superhero for the second and final time in The Flash.
When asked if he would return to the role, he said “I do not think there’s enough drugs in the world for me to go back.” And, according to Vanity Fair, when he was asked that question back in 2021, he replied “I did one superhero movie and I fu**ed it up so bad they won’t let me near the set.” He also humorously admitted that he won’t let his wife, Amal Clooney, or their twins to watch it because “I want my wife to have some respect for me” and that “It’s bad when your…kid goes, ‘This sucks.’ That could be painful.”
It’s nice he’s able to laugh alongside the film’s fans, who consider it a fun, goofy guilty pleasure. But as for him ever popping up as the character in James Gunn’s DCU, don’t hold your breath.
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