Was Steven Seagal in the running for Tim Burton’s Batman? Some Warner Bros. suits lobbied for him
Steven Seagal‘s rise to fame is one of the more interesting stories in Hollywood. Warner Bros – circa 1986 — a bunch of powerful, suit-wearing studio execs are summoned to a studio lunch like no other. They’re set to observe an Aikido demonstration by a superstar trainer named Steven Seagal, previously known as the fight choreographer who broke Sean Connery’s wrist while training him for Never Say Never Again. By the end of the demonstration, mangled stunt men lie on the floor while a blood-stained Steven Seagal walks away with a movie deal.
Seagal made his feature starring debut in 1988’s Above the Law. His look was different from a Stallone or Schwarzenegger, and with his fighting style being fresh and unique, Above the Law captured the attention of audiences. In Nick de Semlyen’s book, The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage, it was revealed that Seagal’s rising stardom even had Warner Bros. considering casting him for Bruce Wayne/Batman for Tim Burton’s Batman. According to the book,
Seagal was already acting like a true A-lister, and the Hollywood studio that had put him in this position was still pushing and pushing to make it a reality. When the time came to cast the role of Batman in Tim Burton’s superhero film, some within Warner Bros. lobbied for Seagal. After all, he already dressed in black. And who better to kick the Joker’s ass than an ass-kicker who never, ever joked?”
Semlyen even got an account from Batman scribe Sam Hamm, who said, “He had just kind of appeared on the scene, and people thought, ‘Holy cow, this guy’s badass. He could be Batman.” The property was a hot one with a ton of buzz being generated. In fact, it has the notorious pre-internet age outrage with the casting of Michael Keaton that rallied hardcore Batman fans into protesting outside of Warner Bros. Keaton’s comedy film past and non-Batman image gave the impression that the 1989 movie was going to be another campy interpretation, much like the Adam West version. At this point, fans were clamoring for a dark and serious incarnation that took the character seriously.
If you want more cool stories about all the 80s and 90s action icons we grew up with, pick up de Semlyen’s book. Buy it here!
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