Who played Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman?

Michael Keaton played Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman.

The movie presents Bruce Wayne as Gotham City’s masked vigilante, Batman, who battles the criminal mastermind later known as the Joker. Keaton played both Wayne and Batman, while Jack Nicholson portrayed the Joker and Kim Basinger played photojournalist Vicki Vale.

Batman was released in 1989 and became a major commercial success. Its production design, dark atmosphere, and marketing campaign helped create a large revival of public interest in the character. Danny Elfman composed the score, and the film’s visual approach strongly influenced later superhero cinema.

The film is sometimes confused with Batman Returns, Burton’s 1992 sequel. Keaton returned as Bruce Wayne in that film as well. Batman also differs from later screen versions because Nicholson’s Joker receives an origin connected to the Wayne family’s past.