George Clooney jokes there are ‘not enough drugs in the world’ for him to return as Batman following disastrous 1997 superhero film
Don't expect George Clooney to ever return to the big screen as Batman.
The actor, who infamously portrayed the hooded crusader in a film that was almost universally panned by fans and critics alike, has insisted there was no chance he would return as the iconic superhero.
Although Clooney, 62, made a cameo as Bruce Wayne on The Flash in late 2023, he reiterated his reluctance to return to the Batcave during an interview with Entertainment tonight.
At the Los Angeles premiere of his new film The Boys In The Boat, Clooney joked that there weren't “enough drugs in the world” for him to return to the role.
When asked how the cameo came about, George joked with ET that there had been “such a clamor” for him to play the iconic superhero again.
George Clooney made it clear in an interview with ET that he had no intention of playing Batman ever again; Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney at the Los Angeles premiere of The Boys in the Boat
The former ER star played the Caped Crusader in 1997's critically maligned Batman & Robin, which is still considered the nadir of Batman films
“I thought there was such a clamor for me to come back, as you know,” the Descendants star said.
Apparently, in response to George's comment, someone in the background made a face that did not go unnoticed by the star: 'Why are you making that face? I saw the face!' George said.
'There was shouting!' he continued jokingly.
Referring to the infamous nipple enhancement Batsuit he donned in 1997's Batman & Robin, he further joked, “I actually said, 'Where are my rubber nipples!' They said, “Can we do it without the rubber nipples?” I thought, “It's not really my Batman, is it?”
The Clooney-led Batman & Robin film was a critical and commercial failure that effectively shut down the franchise for years.
Starring alongside George were Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl.
Joel Schumacher, the film's director, apologized to fans of the franchise years later.
'Look, my apologies. “I want to apologize to every fan who was disappointed because I think I owe them,” Joel, who passed away in 2020, said Shame in 2017.
In 2021, George said of the film: “I did one superhero movie and I made it so bad that they wouldn't let me near the set,” Clooney said during the Q&A, according to People.
Despite his distaste for the role and legacy of Batman and Robin, Clooney, 62, made a cameo as Bruce Wayne in The Flash in late 2023.
The film also starred Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze
Last week, George joked that his appearance on The Flash was just a one-time event The Hollywood Reporter asked if his stint meant he might return full-time as Batman.
'Oh yeah. Somehow there weren't many requests for me to reprise my role as Batman, I don't know why,” he told the publication.
In February, DC Studios head James Gun denied rumors that Clooney would return as Batman.
Gunn replied to a tweet asking, “Is it true you're casting George Clooney as the new main DCU Batman?” to which he replied, “Absolutely not.”