Your favorite screen Batman?

[davidelliott]

Don't worry... I think DC Comics is still trying to figure out who Batman is, too...

[jayce77]

TELLE writes:
They *did* replace Lazenby with an American: John Gavin (best known for Julius Ceasar and Psycho and, during the Reagan administration, the US Ambassador to Mexico).  Gavin was signed to play Bond in "Diamonds Are Forever" but when Connery agreed to return he stepped aside.

They also heavily considered Charles Brolin for the part before Connery officially agreed to come back.

[nightwing]

I'm not sure who Charles Brolin is, but they did have James Brolin ready to go for "Octopussy" in '83 until Roger Moore re-upped.

[Great Rao]

This is news to me and I think that in the Bond screen tests, he comes across as an interesting hybrid between Roger Moore and Sean Connery.  I like Roger Moore, but it would have been great to have seen a younger Bond in that film.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksjXilVYIxw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksjXilVYIxw</a>

and another one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhkUWMJoccQ

[nightwing]

I've read that Cubby Broccoli actually set up Brolin with housing in England so he'd be ready to work.  Whether he was serious about going with the guy or it was just a ploy in the ongoing contract negotiations with Moore, I couldn't say.

I will say that without the competition that year from Sean Connery's "Never Say Never Again," it's entirely possible Moore would have been replaced in '83, whether by Brolin or someone else.  I think Broccoli realized that if they were going to beat out Connery, they needed the only actor who even came close to his popularity in the role, and not a total newbie.  And so they sweetened the pot enough to lure Roger back.

Turned out to be the right move in the end, as Octopussy did end up winning "The Battle of the Bonds."

[BBally81]

Movie Batman: I give it to Michael Keaton by a nose against Bale because of Bale's Batman voice 

TV: Kevin Conroy

Animated: Kevin Conroy

Overall: Kevin Conroy.

[jayce77]

This is news to me and I think that in the Bond screen tests, he comes across as an interesting hybrid between Roger Moore and Sean Connery.  I like Roger Moore, but it would have been great to have seen a younger Bond in that film.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksjXilVYIxw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksjXilVYIxw</a>

and another one:

Yeah, Moore was getting pretty long in the tooth by '83' to be Bond. And big thanks for the video. I did'nt think about that one. Brolin really did have a charm and charisma, thats for sure. He was actually a name that was thrown around when Connery left in '71' and the were considering an American for the part. Along with Burt Reynolds and some others, but he was a little too young then besides the fact that they decided Bond had too be British.

[Aldous]

Your favorite screen Batman?

Michael Keaton, easily.

I am in a rush but just let me say quickly that Keaton brought Batman's history to the role. We didn't need an hour long origin story. I knew all I needed to know about Bruce Wayne from watching a good actor. In other words, shut up about your problems and past and just let me watch you. I'll get a pretty good idea of what I need to know.