George Clooney briefly starred as Bruce Wayne, Batman’s alter ego, in a surprise cameo in ‘The Flash’. However, he has made clear that a future reprisal of the role is quite unlikely.
When queried on his decision to make a cameo in the DC Comic movie, Clooney responded in jest, suggesting that there was considerable demand for his comeback. He made a jocular reference to his previous Batman costume by wondering aloud, ‘Where are my rubber nipples?’ This element of his Batman portrayal remains a topic of humor.
Clooney’s humor was then extended to questioning whether it was his Batman if he was to reprise the role without the costume’s infamous detail. While he did appear as Bruce Wayne in ‘The Flash’, the actor highlighted his lack of intentions to return for similar appearances for upcoming blockbuster sequels.
This is reflected in the categorical denial that he offered to the speculation about a comprehensive reprisal of his role, firmly placing his superhero tenure in his past.
His witty remark, ‘I don’t believe there are sufficient drugs in the world for me to make a comeback’, further confirms his stance. George Clooney’s claim to fame as a superhero was his performance as Batman in the 1997 movie ‘Batman & Robin.’
Here, he shared screen space with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the role of Mr. Freeze. The movie was produced by Warner Bros but was heavily criticized by movie reviewers.
Clooney, entirely aware of the film’s notoriety, often makes light of his role and the film’s reputation in his conversations. For instance, he reported in 2019 that he had cautioned his friend, Ben Affleck, against accepting the role of Batman for the 2016 movie ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.’
Furthermore, Clooney has revealed that he had not received any invitation to reprise his Batman role in ‘The Flash,’ a movie that showcases superheroes coming together in the multiverse.
He humorously had explained this lack of invitation to Variety, suggesting that after a franchise is ‘ruined’ in the manner he believed he had done, the usual procedure is to ‘look the other way’.
Clooney did not stop at self-deprecation. He also divulged to Variety that his wife, Amal, was not permitted to watch his turn as the caped hero. The idea probably was to spare her the experience of what he thought of as the lowest point of the franchise. Similarly, he showed no intentions of allowing his twins, Alexander and Ella, to watch ‘Batman & Robin’ either.
Lastly, Clooney offered a humorous anecdote, highlighting the extent of his self-criticism regarding his Batman role: ‘Even a 4-year-old would say, ‘This is poor.’’
Such was his dissatisfaction with the role and the movie that it became a running joke for him. To sum up, while George Clooney’s cameo in ‘The Flash’ brought back memories of his Batman days, his disdain for his own performance in the role is abundantly clear.
