Before cinematic universes became commonplace, DC’s Batman was brought to the big screen for a variety of outings. One of the most notorious is Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney as the Caped Crusader (with nipples). And Clooney has an A+ answer why he’s not reprising the role in Ezra Miller’s Flash movie.
Anticipation for the Flash movie has been steadily building, especially because two different Bruce Wayne actors will be donning the cape and cowl: Ben Affleck and the legendary Michael Keaton. But George Clooney is another experienced Batman, although he offered a killer reason he won’t be in the upcoming blockbuster by Andy Muschietti. As he put it,
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.
Well, that’s one way of looking at it. While George Clooney might be a bit hard on himself for taking on the responsibility of Batman & Robin’s critical performance, the Oscar-winning actor has a good sense of humor about his time as the DC legend. But smart money says we won’t ever see Clooney back as the Caped Crusader.
George Clooney’s comments to Variety come as the multihyphenate was promoting his new directorial project The Tender Bar. With Ezra Miller’s long-awaited Flash movie featuring a few different versions of Bruce Wayne, the public has been wondering about others like Val Kilmer and Christian Bale. Clooney’s is perhaps the most infamous Batman movie, although you can’t deny that he looked killer in the cowl.
Over the years George Clooney has given plenty of delightful quotes/jabs about his work on Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin. The movie is campy and over the top, despite the genuine performance given by Clooney. But despite its flaws, Batman & Robin still holds a special place in the hearts of ‘90s kids. I mean, who can forget Uma Thurman’s iconic strip tease out of a purple gorilla suit?
In the end, Batman & Robin’s performance was such that the series of movies ended. Or as George Clooney puts it, he destroyed the franchise. Gotham’s protector wouldn’t return to the big screen until Christpher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which had a wildly different tone. As for Clooney, he’s continued his massively successful career as an actor, director, producer, and writer.
Despite George Clooney’s absence, anticipation for The Flash movie is definitely high. The multiverse is seemingly being explored, and moviegoers are particularly excited about seeing Ezra Miller’s title character interact with both Batmen. Add in the DCEU’s introduction of Supergirl and it’s clear that Andy Muschietti is working with some high concepts.
The Flash is currently expected to hit theaters on November 4th, 2022, and George Clooney’s The Tender Bar will arrive shortly on December 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
