George Clooney Says He Will Likely Never Reprise 'Batman' Role: 'Not Enough Drugs In World'

In a recent statement, George Clooney claimed, with his characteristic wit, that there are 'not enough drugs in the world' for him to get back into the iconic Batman outfit. The 62-year-old actor, who first donned the cape and cowl in the controversial 1997 film Batman & Robin, has long been honest about his experience with the role, and his recent remarks add a hilarious touch to his portrayal's impact.

Clooney's witty quip came during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, where he was asked about the idea of reprising his role as the Caped Crusader. The actor makes a quick cameo opposite Ezra Miller in this year's The Flash, a return that fueled discussion about his future involvement in Batman projects, as per Entertainment Weekly.

In response to the speculation about his comeback, Clooney joked, "I don't think there are enough drugs in the world for me to go back again." The message, delivered with a mix of humor and sincerity, represents the actor's feelings about returning to a character that had a lasting impact on his career and the Batman franchise as a whole.

Clooney's first attempt into the superhero genre was in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, a picture that, despite a star-studded cast, received severe criticism and was a commercial and critical flop. The famed plastic nipples on the Batsuit, which Clooney has joked about, remain a symbol of the film's creative failures.

Clooney also spoke about the studio's talks for his return in The Flash, revealing the humorous banter that occurred. "There was such a clamor for me to come back as [Batman],” Clooney recounted. "I actually said, ‘Where are my rubber nipples?’ And they were like, ‘Can we do it without the rubber nipples?’ I was like, ‘Well, it’s not really my Batman, is it?’" The mention of rubber nipples not only added a comedic element but also a reminder of the controversial costume design choices in Batman & Robin.

Over the years, the legacy of Clooney's Batman has been a source of both laughter and criticism. As per a recent Variety, Clooney recognized the film's difficulties in an interview, saying, "It was a difficult film to be good in. With hindsight, it’s easy to look back at this and go, ‘Woah, that was really shit, and I was really bad in it.'" Previously, Clooney said in a 2021 interview with Variety that Batman & Robin was so bad that it 'destroyed' the superhero franchise. He stated that he would not let his wife watch it because "There are certain films I just go, ‘I want my wife to have some respect for me.'"

Despite his reservations, Clooney's choice to appear in The Flash as a cameo adds an interesting aspect to the ongoing evolution of the Batman character on the big screen. As the DC Universe is revitalized with new Batman incarnations, such as Robert Pattinson's portrayal in The Batman Part 2, Clooney's Batman remains a distinct part of the franchise's history.