Nearly thirty years on, Joel Schumacher’s “Batman & Robin” is still considered one of the worst comic book adaptations ever made.
Despite decent box-office, the film famously led to the entire franchise being shelved for eight years before being eventually rebooted.
Complaints ranged far and wide from the ultra campy tone and over the top performances, to nitpicks such as the Batsuit nipples.
George Clooney played Bruce Wayne/Batman in the film and has famously made fun of it himself over the years. More recently, he has come around on it again, including a cameo in 2023’s “The Flash” film.
In a new career retrospective video for Variety, he reflected on the role with his signature humor:
“I was the best Batman, and you know it, and I know it. And I don’t want to hear any more s—. Batman has nipples, dude. How do you think he feeds the children? The little bats.
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 then 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’s Batman in the film teamed up with Robin (O’Donnell) to battle villains Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), and are ultimately joined by Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone).
