See Why Michael Keaton Declined Batman Forever

Back in 1995, both Michael Keaton and Tim Burton stepped away from the Batman franchise after 1992’s darker, grittier sequel Batman Returns. Val Kilmer replaced Keaton while Joel Schumacher filled Burton’s director’s chair for the mediocre Batman Forever, but it was never made clear why exactly Keaton left.

In an interview Keaton explained that the third film didn’t quite sit right with him, and decided that it would be best to hang up the cape and cowl. He said “The script sucked. I knew it was in trouble when Joel Schumacher said ‘Why does everything have to be so dark?”

He’s not pulling any punches here, folks. Keaton doesn’t have any ill words to say about Burton, whom he calls an artist and a visionary, and also describes the feeling of risk that surrounded the 1989 film, which felt like it could either sink or swim under their watch.