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15 Vintage Photos of Michael Keaton in Batman, Beetlejuice, and More
As Beetlejuice would say, "It's showtime!"
If someone holds the keys to a successful Hollywood career that never slows down, it’s Michael Keaton. Ever since the actor stepped into his Batsuit over 30 years ago, he's held hero status for countless superhero aficionados. And that’s just one fanbase.
From Beetlejuice to Batman to comedies to dramas, Keaton has done it all — and then some. Keaton, 73, is returning as the Host of Saturday Night Live on October 19, with Musical Guest Billie Eilish. Keaton made his first appearance on SNL in 1982, returned for a second time in 1992, and again in 2015.
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Needless to say, Keaton has kept very busy through the years, and that’s even more evident when you look back at photos of his work. Read on to see photos of Keaton as a young actor in the ‘80s, revisit his most iconic roles in the Beetlejuice and Batman movies, and more pivotal moments below.
Michael Keaton starred in comedies in the early days of his career
In the early ‘80s, Keaton landed leading roles in several comedies, including the 1982 movie Night Shift with Henry Winkler. He then starred in 1983’s Mr. Mom as stay-at-home dad Jack Butler.
Keaton’s early acting credits from also include the films Johnny Dangerously and She’s Having a Baby as well as starring roles in the TV sitcoms Report to Murphy and All's Fair.
The actor also appeared as the Host of Saturday Night Live for the first time in 1982 — the Halloween episode of Season 8.
Michael Keaton became Beetlejuice in 1988
More than three decades ago in 1988, Keaton starred in the Tim Burton classic Beetlejuice as the “world’s leading bio-exorcist.” While Beetlejuice has become a Halloween staple, the movie actually premiered in theaters in spring. It was a box office success at the time and it’s just as popular and loved today, with an 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite only getting 17 minutes of screen time in Beetlejuice, Keaton’s character delivered some of the most memorable one-liners like “It’s showtime!” and “I’m the ghost with the most, babe.”
In addition to Keaton, the original Beetlejuice had an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Winona Ryder.
Now, Keaton has reprised his kooky role in the movie’s sequel. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premiered in theaters on September 6, 2024, also starring O’Hara and Ryder again as well as Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Danny DeVito, and more.
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Keaton has said that playing Beetlejuice holds a special place in his heart. “At the end of the day, if someone said you have to pick one thing you’ve done how I make my living, I probably would pick Beetlejuice … It’s just art,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly.
RELATED: Michael Keaton Just Revealed Something We Never Realized About His Beetlejuice Role
It’s hard to top, but Keaton told Entertainment Weekly “in a lot of ways” the sequel is better than the original. “I’ve been in some pretty good movies, but this is something different,” he said, adding that the story is “stronger,” it’s “emotional,” and the cast is “stupid good.”
“To remake something that you didn’t even know might work the first time is really hard,” he said. “The only thing I worried about was should we have left it alone … For me it was a big roll of the dice.”
Michael Keaton in his Batman era
Just one year after Beetlejuice, Keaton starred in the very first installment of the Batman film series in 1989, directed by Tim Burton. The movie also starred Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale and Jack Nicholson as The Joker, whose strong presence intimated Keaton on set.
“I was pretty nervous and self-conscious about being with Jack because he’s so strong on film, you know,” Keaton said on an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. “But [it] ended up just being great.”
At the time, Keaton’s casting as the superhero caused a fury of backlash as he had only primarily acted in comedies before this role. In an interview with GQ, Keaton said he was confused by the controversy, but admitted Burton’s choice to cast him as Bruce Wayne was “ballsy.”
“When they said ‘We’re thinking of doing Batman,’ I said, ‘Wait, you’re thinking of making a movie about Batman?’” Keaton recalled. “The fact that Tim said ‘That guy, I want that guy’ Like why people even cared one way or another so much is still baffling, but still that was a ballsy move on his part. We also had a nice working relationship from Beetlejuice, so I think he felt that he and I could get along … we work well together.”
Batman, of course, was a major success financially and led to some fun fan moments. In an interview on The Tonight Show, Keaton told Jimmy Fallon he still remembers an encounter with a young boy at an airport who recognized him as Batman shortly after the movie came out.
“I’m walking right toward [the kid at the airport] and I see him clock me, and I see the parents haven’t clocked me,’” Keaton recalled to Fallon. “I look at him and go [nods yes]. And then I go ‘shh!’ and I keep walking.”
“But the look [on the kid’s face] was cool,” he added. “It went from goofy to ‘holy sh*t.”
Keaton went on to star as Batman in the 1992 movie Batman Returns, with Danny DeVito as the the Penguin and Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman.
Keaton stepped away from the character after the second installment, starring in a long list of other blockbusters movies in the following years, until The Flash. In the 2023 DC film, Keaton put on his Batsuit once again, reprising his role as the superhero.
During an appearance on TODAY, Keaton said that even after all these years, playing Batman again in The Flash was like "riding a bike."
Michael Keaton’s filmography highlights his long and unstoppable career
Indeed, Keaton’s long list of acting credits looks a lot like a CVS receipt. After the success of Beetlejuice and Batman, Keaton starred in dozens of movies in the ‘90s, including Much Ado About Nothing, The Paper, Multiplicity, Jackie Brown, and Jack Frost.
In the 2000s and 2010s, Keaton lent his recognizable voice to several animated movies, including Cars, Toy Story 3, and Minions. This era also includes some of Keaton’s most moving performances in dramas like Spotlight, The Founder, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Keaton, of course, hadn’t abandoned his comedy roots, starring in The Other Guys in 2010 and making a guest appearance on 30 Rock in 2011.
Just a few short years later, Keaton earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role of Riggan Thomson in the dark comedy Birdman in 2014. In an interview on TODAY, Keaton said Birdman is one of his favorite films he’s done. “When do you get an opportunity to do everything?” he said. “It’s a comedy really, it’s a dark comedy, and there’s every level of emotion and there are so many layers to this film.”
RELATED: Micheal Keaton's Last SNL Monologue Was a Perfect Beetlejuice & Batman Tribute
The last time Keaton appeared on SNL was in 2015 and Season 40 cast members Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan hilariously begged him to play “Batman” or “Beetlejuice” with them. “Look guys, I’m sorry, but it’s just not gonna happen,” Keaton says in the monologue. Little did they know what the future would bring.
