80 Years of Batman: The Highs and Lows of the Caped Crusader
We take you down the memory lane - with interesting facts and transitions in characters - over what has been an iconic 80 year period for the Dark Knight.
Ever wonder where the name Bruce Wayne came from? The origin story is quite interesting. The name has been derived from Scottish hero Robert the Bruce and American Revolutionary hero Anthony Wayne.
You might recall this iconic scene in which Batman says, 'No guns. No killing.' Ever wonder why? The backstory is that he never wanted to stoop down to the level of the man who killed his parents.
How did these two ever get together? Well, according to the comics, Robin was a circus acrobat whose parents died in a high-wire accident. This, naturally, led Batman to adopt him as his ward
Several men have tried to play the sidekick of the caped crusader since then. Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne being a few.
It all started in 1943, when Batman first appeared on screen. Made amid the events of World War II, the movie had its antagonist in the form of Japanese spy named Dr. Daka.
The real success though, came in 1949's 'Batman and Robin.' 80 years on, who'd have thought that the character would become as iconic as it is today!
Ever heard of the Comics Code Authority? This body regulates content that comic books publish and was established after an infamous theory broke in 1954 that Batman and Robin were gay.
Ever wonder Batman as a family man? Well, just head to the comics if you want to see him in the avatar. Bruce Wayne marries Catwoman. Their daughter Helena Wayne grew up to be the Huntress.
In the comics, Batman has an online alias. It's JonDoe297.
According to Alfred from the comics, the caped crusader loves getting his hands on some Mulligatawny soup, his favorite.
Voice actor Kevin Conroy has played Batman more than any other person. Starting with Batman: The Animated Series, he’s been Batman in 8 TV series, 13 animated movies, and 10 video games.
Adam West's Batman bombed heavily and had the worst worst score from test audiences in television history. But hey, why do we fall?
Frank Miller's Batman reinstaled the lost excitement of Batman in 1986. It could have gone either way after a huge letdown in the previous iteration.
Micheal Keaton was chosen over evin Costner, Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Tom Selleck, Charlie Sheen, and Pierce Brosnan, who turned down the role because they didn't want to play a character in tights.
Michael Keaton's casting in Tim Burton's version of Batman was heavily protested by fans as they were skeptical of him pulling off a credible Batman. Today,most actors credit Keaton for paving the way
What would Batman be without the Joker? What would have happened if the first man to play the character failed? Thankfully, Jack Nicholson's portrayal sowed the seeds for many classics that followed.
Batman's creator Bob Kane served as a consultant on Tim Burton's Batman and it shows. Even the minute aesthetics of the character seem right in this iteration.
A sequel was originally on the cards after a highly successful run. Keaton couldn't return after a nervous breakdown making the first one. WB replaced him with Val Kilmer for 1995's 'Batman Forever'
Joel Schumacher complained openly of having a really hard time working with Val Kilmer. 'What's the worst that could happen? I won't get to work with him again?' complained the filmmaker.
And that, led to the birth of an iconic shift with George Clooney taking up the role under the direction of Schumacher. But the project failed miserably, putting DC and WB in deep trouble.
Need we say more? Desperate times calls for desperate measures. And man, did they deliver!
The Tim Drake character, one of the later Robins in the comics, was the apparent inspiration for John Blake, the character played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises.
After three hits in the BO from Nolan, the mantle passed to Ben Affleck. After mixed responses from the three movies, the actor hung up his boots for some one else to take up the role.
“I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just couldn’t come up with a version, I couldn’t crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot'
The path has been paved. The stars have aligned. From Twilight to Batman. We certainly can't wait!
