“I’m Batman.” Two words. Three syllables. Instant chills. But according to Michael Uslan, the originator and executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, we almost never got the line from Michael Keaton at all.
It’s the kind of line that makes you want to lower your voice two octaves and practice in front of a mirror until your family asks if you’re okay mentally. While Batman has thrown out plenty of memorable quotes over the decades, like “Swear to me” and “Do you bleed?”, none of them have the same punch as that simple self-introduction.
What might surprise you is just how rare it actually is in film today. Across five films, Ben Affleck’s Batman never said it once in the DCEU. Not even a sly variation. And yet, Michael Keaton’s delivery in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman was so perfect that it burned the phrase into pop culture forever.
If you need a refresher, here’s the scene: Two muggers rob a family and think they’ve gotten away clean. Then, out of nowhere, Batman swoops in. He takes out one thug, dangles the other over a rooftop, and tells him to spread the word. The terrified crook blurts out, “What are you?!” Keaton leans in, whispers like Gotham’s worst nightmare, and says, “I’m Batman.”
Fans were so attached to that delivery that when Keaton returned for The Flash, hearing him say it again was like stepping into a time machine.
On Facebook, Michael Uslan recently shared a storyboard from the original 1989 movie, illustrated by Jerry Ordway for the comic book adaptation. In it, the rooftop scene plays out almost exactly the same, except for the last part. Instead of “I’m Batman,” the Caped Crusader says:
“Tell your friends. Tell all your friends. I am the night.”
Is it cool? Sure. But not quite as iconic. You can almost hear fans across the decades breathing a sigh of relief that Burton and company went another route.
Michael Keaton knows it, too. He continues to repeat the line in interviews, on talk shows, and pretty much anywhere someone will let him. It’s pretty much his calling card now.
Sure, different Batman actors have tried their own spin on the famous line. Like Robert Pattinson, who went with “I am vengeance.” Still, “I’m Batman” remains the best. Honestly, it’s right up there with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “I’ll be back”.
“I’m Batman.” It’s still the coolest line Batman has ever delivered.
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