George Clooney’s Son Delights in Infamous Batman Outing

For better or worse, George Clooney’s stint as Gotham’s caped crusader in the 1997 blockbuster remains a talking point. The film, notorious for its campy tone and questionable design choices—yes, the Batsuit with nipples—saw Clooney face off against a colourful line-up of villains: Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, and Robert Swenson’s Bane. Despite its reputation as a cinematic misfire, the film is an inescapable part of Clooney’s back catalogue.

It was only a matter of time before Clooney’s children would be introduced to his turn as Batman, especially given his eight-year-old son Alexander’s fascination with the character. While promoting his latest project, Clooney recounted to W magazine how he finally decided to screen the film for his son. Halloween, it seems, provided the perfect excuse.

“Halloween's a big holiday. My son went as Batman. He hadn't seen Batman yet. I always say to him, 'You know I was Batman.' He's always like, 'No.' I don't know that he knew how profound it was when he said I wasn't Batman.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally showed it to him. It wasn't great for grown-ups, but it's great for eight-year-olds, so he loved it. My daughter, meanwhile, went as a witch. She doesn't like all the princess stuff. She likes to be the evil witch.”

Cast Reflections and On-Set Chaos

Clooney’s home screening comes on the heels of comments from his co-stars Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, who have both spoken candidly about their experiences on the set. O’Donnell, who played Robin, summed up the atmosphere around the film’s release:

“It is what it is. Some work out and some don't. All of a sudden, you were starting to get the feedback, and you realise it was just going sideways. There was so much hatred of the film when it came out. It was like, 'Oh my God.' And you want to do your job and promote the movie... I remember at one point [director] Joel Schumacher just threw up the flag. He's like, 'I'm out. I can't do it anymore.' He was so heartbroken and kind of bummed out about it.”

Silverstone, who took on the role of Batgirl, recalled the sheer scale and confusion of the production. She described the logistical headaches of the costume and the surreal nature of the shoot:

“I remember a lot of things not making sense. We would be in a big warehouse and there was so many extras and so much going on.... [Clooney] really was like a big brother in those circumstances. So cool. He stood up for me and was reasonable when things were not. And to get the outfit on took so much time and energy. And once you had it on, you couldn't go to the bathroom for ages. These were not easy costumes. You had to put baby powder all over your body to get it on. The whole thing was a big production.”

Career Lessons and Moving Forward

While the film’s critical drubbing might have been bruising, Clooney credits the experience with changing his approach to his work. When asked which project had the most significant impact on his career, he didn’t hesitate:

“It's really easy to pick: Batman & Robin. That's not a joke. Up until that moment, I was an actor only concerned with finding work. After the failure of that film creatively, I understood that I needed to take control of the films I made, not just the role. My next three films were Out of Sight, Three Kings, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

For Clooney, donning the cowl may not have been the highlight of his career, but it certainly set him on a new path—one that would see him take greater ownership of his choices and, ultimately, his legacy.