Don’t Blame Michael Keaton for Revealing the Twist in ‘Batman’ on Letterman

The stars of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice seem to be everywhere right now — European film festivals, closets full of Blu-rays, non-canonical Hot Ones parodies. And interviews with the cast haven’t been limited to discussions of the upcoming sequel, either. For example, Jenna Ortega has been asked about Season Two of Wednesday, and Michael Keaton has had to field questions about why he thoughtlessly spoiled Batman more than three decades years ago. 

In an interview with CinemaBlend, Keaton was asked about the time he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman in 1989 and accidentally spoiled Batman just one day before it hit theaters. Specifically, he blew the twist that the Joker, in his younger days, was the one who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents. Sorry if we just spoiled it for you.

This particular aspect of the story was a surprise to comic fans, as it was invented specifically for the movie. In earlier Batman stories, Bruce’s parents were gunned down by a guy named “Joe Chill,” who is somehow not related to Mr. Freeze.

Keaton didn’t immediately recall the incident, which has frequently been the subject of online discourse, but seemed displeased to hear about it. “Oh jeez, that’s totally like me. So stupid. I’m a dunce,” he bemoaned.

But here’s the thing: Michael Keaton has nothing to apologize for. 

When you watch the clip, clearly it’s David Letterman who gives away the plot, not Keaton. After Keaton runs down the set-up, beginning with the murder of the Waynes, Letterman asks, “And the Joker did that?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know it until later,” Keaton responds, adding, “I’m kind of blowing the plot here,” as the audience expresses their disappointment. 

But really, there’s no good response to what Letterman said. Had Keaton clammed up, it would have been obvious that Letterman had just given away a major plot point. Letterman, by the way, hadn’t seen the movie at that point, he seemingly just guessed the twist based on Keaton’s phrasing, which followed a conversation about how the Joker had “ticked” Batman off. 

So if the Batman spoiler is anyone’s fault, it’s Letterman’s. The host later made it a habit to joke around about giving away details about Batman movies, seemingly because he was irked by the fact that Warner Bros.’ marketing department asked him not to divulge any story details on the air. When The Dark Knight came out in 2008, he did a makeshift review from his desk, claiming that, in the end of the film, “everyone’s dead.”

Similarly, when Anne Hathaway made an appearance to promote The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, Letterman revealed that “in the end, Batman is dead.” Hathaway then tried to warn him about the “wrath you have just invited onto yourself.”

While it wasn’t actually true, the movie hadn’t come out yet, so Batman fans were pissed.

Incidentally, Keaton has promised not to repeat history by blowing the ending of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. But if you’re interested in seeing it, maybe stay the hell away from David Letterman.

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