The answer to the question in my article title is yes. Michael Keaton is the greatest superhero movie actor ever, and here are the three reasons why.
1. Batman (1989) 🦇
For many, Jack Nicholson’s zany Joker 🃏 still ranks as the finest film version of the legendary comic book villain. At the same time, many people still consider Keaton’s Batman 🦇 to be the best version of the Caped Crusader.
I am one of those people.
Adam West may have been funnier, Ben Affleck may have been brawnier, and Christian Bale may be the better actor, but no one portrayed Batman/Bruce Wayne as well as Keaton did in the 1989 blockbuster.
2. Birdman (2014) 🐦
In perhaps the finest performance of his career, Keaton kills it as the titular character in this very complex, captivating and surreal dark comedy. Although it’s not a comic book-based film, it has superhero movie themes.
It’s like a meta-joke on his career in some ways, since his character Riggan is struggling to find his niche as an artist–trying to distance himself from his famous Birdman superhero movie persona. Much in the same way that Keaton has worked hard in his career to transcend his legendary fictional portrayals (Batman and Beetlejuice).
And, oh yeah, the movie fetched Keaton an Oscar nomination!
3. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) as Vulture 🦅
Last but not least, I leave you with “Homecoming,” Keaton’s most recent foray into the comic book/superhero movie realm.
Like Spider-Man, portrayed by the seemingly ageless Tom Holland, Keaton is amazing in this movie. He starts off as sympathetic working man “hero” Adrian Toomes, who’s lost his salvage business to bullish Stark Industries. He then becomes (a) “Vulture,” stealing and selling highly-dangerous and highly classified alien technology to criminals for profit.
He pushes Spider-Man to the brink in the film’s final act, but ultimately succumbs, and is imprisoned by the film’s end.
But is this really the end? 🧛♂️
It looks like Michael Keaton is back for more, as Vulture in Sony’s upcoming Morbius release.
His comic book/superhero movie resume keeps growing and growing and, for now, it has no end in sight. Few actors can match the breadth and depth of Keaton’s superhero movie leading roles.
And for that, I am thankful.
