Batman 1989 was one of Hollywood’s most pivotal movies. Where did the cast end up after their unforgettable and game-changing adventure in Gotham City?
Batman changed Hollywood for the better. We’re not just saying that as biased comic book fans or devoted Bat-fans; we’re stating a fact. Not only did it reinvent the Caped Crusader for a new audience in a way that many of the non-comic book fans hadn’t seen before, it was in many ways the first modern superhero blockbuster movie – a staple of Hollywood today.
Directed by Tim Burton, Batman released in theaters back in 1989. It was a game-changer; a larger-than-life extravaganza that stunned audiences around the globe. It also made people talk with its unexpected casting of Michael Keaton in the title role, but the initial backlash gave way to nothing but adoration for the star’s career-defining turn as the very best of the live-action Batmen.
Over three decades later, we still have a lot to thank Batman for. It was the first of its kind, and a damn gripping ride at that. But we know what the movie ended up doing with its enduring legacy, so what about its cast? What have they been up to since?
From Keaton’s Caped Crusader to Jack Nicholson’s Joker, and Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale, let’s catch up with the cast of Batman (1989).
Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl approached the role of Alexander Knox with such energy and enthusiasm that it has become one of the most beloved roles of his long career. The character, a reporter working in Gotham City that teams up with Vicki Vale to investigate Bruce Wayne, Knox plays a supporting role in Batman but that didn’t stop him from becoming a fan-favorite character.
Wuhl’s larger-than-life personality lent itself nicely to the role, and that’s no surprise given that he was one of the up-and-coming actors of the early ’80s. His success continued after Batman, as he appeared in more high-profile movies such as Blaze, Mistress, Blue Chips, and Cobb. However, he would find his greatest success on television, creating, writing and starring in all seven seasons of HBO’s Arliss, which ran from 1996 to 2002.
Since then, he has been more selective with his roles, often appearing in episodes of TV shows or cameoing as versions of himself in multiple projects. He also recently returned to the role of Alexander Knox in a cameo appearance in an episode of Supergirl as part of the Arrowverse’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover (in which he responded to the red skies of the Crisis surrounding the Bat-Signal with “I hope you’re watching big guy”).
Jack Palance
Few people in Hollywood at the time were as renowned for playing villains as Jack Palance. The veteran had made a career out of bringing crime bosses and even immortal monsters such as Dracula to life, so to say he was well-cast as Carl Grissom in Batman would be an understatement.
Palance was always appearing in things throughout all of his career, but he experienced quite the resurgence in the late ’80s, which led to more significant roles (one of which was in Batman). That same year, he played the antagonist in Tango & Cash . Two years later, he appeared in the comedy Western City Slickers and his performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (in what was his third nomination for the award). He reprised the role in a sequel in 1994.
He began to make less appearances on the big screen as he got older, opting for direct-to-video projects or providing voicework for animated outings. He did, however, play Long John Silver in the 1999 adaptation of Treasure Island. His final film role came in 2001’s Prancer Returns, in which he played Old Man Richards.
Palance died in 2006 at the age of 87.
Billy Dee Williams
In Batman, Billy Dee Williams played the role of good-natured District Attorney Harvey Dent, who vowed to be tough on crime. Dent was a realist who didn’t see the need for vigilantes and wanted to take down The Joker by the book and Williams portrayed the cigar-smoking DA very well.
The role was envisioned as the beginning of the character’s arc, with the hope that Williams could return as the character’s villainous alter-ego, Two-Face, in a future movie, but Warner Bros.’ change-in-direction for the Batman franchise prevented that from happening (Tommy Lee Jones would play the role in Batman Forever instead). Williams would, however, get the chance to finally play the role when he voiced the character in 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie.
He also appeared in a number of films in the 1990s, including Alien Intruder and Steel Sharks. His most high-profile film in recent years was 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in which he reprised his iconic role as Lando Calrissan from the original trilogy. He has voiced the character on television over the years as well. You also might have seen him pop up in a number of TV shows over the past two decades, including Glee, General Hospital, Scrubs, Lost, White Collar, and NCIS. And he even competed on Dancing With The Stars in 2014.
Williams is also a renowned painter, having created around 300 paintings thus far – some of which have been featured in galleries around the world.
Pat Hingle
No Batman story would be complete without Commissioner James Gordon, and Tim Burton’s 1989 movie recruited legendary character actor Pat Hingle to play the role. A veteran of the stage and screen, Hingle was known for his commanding presence and often played authoritative characters – which served him well in Batman.
Throughout the remainder of the ’90s Hingle would play a supporting role in some major movies and TV shows. We have to begin with the Batman movies, as he joined Michael Gough as the only actor to appear in all four, reprising his role as Jim Gordon in Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin. He also starred in the ABC miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts and the network’s TV adaptation of The Shining.
He continued to act into the 2000s, appearing in the Samuel L. Jackson film Shaft, reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon in a voice role capacity for the Batman OnStar commercials and having supporting roles in both 2006 films Two Tickets to Paradise and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Pat Hingle passed away in 2009 at the age of 84.
Michael Gough
With over 40 years of performances to his name by the time he appeared in Batman, Michael Gough was already a star of the big and small screens when he took on the role of Alfred Pennyworth. Prior to that, he was perhaps best known for his roles in the Hammer horror movies, particularly that of Sir Arthur Holmwood in 1958’s Dracula.
But Alfred redefined his career, as he was introduced to a whole new audience as the iconic butler of Bruce Wayne. Gough also notably held the record as one of the only two actors to appear in all four of the original Batman movies, reprising the role in 1992’s Batman Returns, 1995’s Batman Forever, and 1997’s Batman and Robin. He also appeared in Nostradamus in 1994 and Burton’s Sleepy Hollow in 1999, which would be his final film performance before retirement.
He came out of retirement to reprise the role of Alfred Pennyworth in six Batman-themed commercials for On-Star, and provided voicework for two more Tim Burton movies (Corpse Bride and Alice in Wonderland).
He died at the age of 94 in 2011. His first Batman, Michael Keaton, paid tribute to him with a touching sentiment: “To Mick – my butler, my confidant, my friend, my Alfred. I love you. God bless. Michael (Mr. Wayne) Keaton.”
Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger was one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars of the 1980s and Batman only helped her ascend much faster. She played the role Vicki Vale in the movie, an intrepid reporter on the hunt for the truth about The Batman, only to help him bring down The Joker. Her performance was so strong that she still remains the definitive version of Vicki Vale for many to this day.
Hot off the heels of the movie’s success, she starred in movies such as The Marrying Man, The Real McCoy, and Wayne’s World 2. However, it was after a significant hiatus that she found her greatest success, as she returned with a starring role in the movie L.A. Confidential which earned her critical acclaim, as well as an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a SAG Award (as well as a BAFTA nomination).
From the turn of the century, she has appeared in movies such as I Dreamed of Africa, 8 Mile, Cellular, The Sentinel, The Burning Pain, While She Was Out, and Charlie St. Cloud. Her most high-profile role in some time came in 2017’s Fifty Shades Darker, in which she played the former business partner and lover of Christian Grey, She then reprised the role in 2018 sequel Fifty Shades Freed.
Basinger’s appearances on film have been more sporadic over the past decade, but she remains one of the Hollywood greats and it’s always a joy to see her on-screen.
Jack Nicholson
By the time that he played The Joker / Jack Napier in 1989’s Batman, Jack Nicholson was already considered one of the greatest actors in the history of film. His eccentric performance as the DC Comics villain added to that legacy, and Nicholson would go on to captivate us for two more decades.
Immediately after Batman, he directed his third film (which he also starred in) The Two Jakes. Throughout that decade, he would appear in multiple revolutionary and acclaimed movies, including A Few Good Men (which earned him his 10th Oscar nomination), Mars Attacks (which reunited with him Batman director Tim Burton), and As Good As It Gets (which earned him his third Oscar win).
After the turn of the century, Nicholson leaned into his comedy chops a lot more, appearing in the comedies About Schmidt, Anger Management, Something’s Gotta Give, and The Bucket List. That said, he did return to his thriller roots in The Departed, for which he received acclaim for his performance.
He stepped away from acting in 2010 after his final film, the star-studded comedy How Do You Know, but he reportedly doesn’t consider himself retired and very nearly returned to the big screen for a movie that was ultimately abandoned. He has been approached to cameo in a few projects over the years and has declined, but who knows, maybe we’ll see him on the silver screen again one day.
Either way, what a legendary career he has had.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton changed the game with his performance as Batman / Bruce Wayne in the 1989 movie. While many had thought his previous roles in comedies meant we’d be getting a light-hearted Dark Knight, the actor delivered a stoic, nuanced performance that introduced movie audiences all over the world to the modern day Batman.
He has since gone on to enjoy an incredibly successful career in the decades since, even reprising the role in Burton’s 1992 sequel Batman Returns. Though he chose not to return for the gimmicky sequel Batman Forever, he continued to appear in many high profile movies throughout the ’90s and ’00s, including Much Ado About Nothing, Jackie Brown and Jack Frost.
However, he would experience a career renaissance in the 2010s, earning acclaim for his performance in Birdman (as well as a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination). From there, he would go on to star in the critically-acclaimed Spotlight, The Founder, and even play the villainous Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He also took his star-power to television, winning an Emmy Award for his leading performance in Hulu’s Dopesick.
In 2023, he made a triumphant return to the role of Batman in The Flash, delivering a show-stealing performance that reminded us all why he is – and always will be – considered the best Batman.
Batman is available to stream on Max. It will also make a one-day to return to movie theaters in honor of Batman Day.