1. When Michael Keaton was cast as the first Caped Crusader, his casting was not well-received by comic book fans, kicking off a reactionary trend that persists to this day whenever a new superhero casting is announced. Warner Brothers received 50,000 letters from fans complaining about the decision. Would Tim Burton's first choice for the role have fared any better? Mel Gibson was forced to turn down the role due to his commitment with Lethal Weapon 2.
2. After Jack Nicholson rejected Burton and WB's initial offer of The Joker, Robin Williams was contacted about the role. However, his interest was only used as bait to lure Nicholson into accepting the offer, a play that upset the comedy legend so much, he turned down The Riddler years later and refused to work with WB until they apologized to him.
3. Keaton couldn't hear anything when he was in the Batsuit. He later admitted that the claustrophobia caused by the costume was useful to tap into the proper mood needed to tap into the character. "It made me go inward and that's how I wanted the character to be anyway, to be withdrawn," he said.
4. After Kim Basinger's schedule precluded her from initially accepting the role of Vicki Vale, it went to actress Sean Young. Unfortunately, a horse-riding accident while practicing for a scene set on the ground of Wayne Manor left her with a broken collarbone and she was forced to drop out. Basinger received an emergency call one week prior to the start of filming and accepted.