William Baldwin, who voices Batman in the upcoming animated Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, let an interesting bit of old casting news slip when discussing his new project with Figures.com. "I was one of Joel Schumacher's top choices when Val Kilmer wound up playing Batman," says Baldwin. "Tim Burton and Michael Keaton had left, so Joel had the luxury of replacing Michael Keaton, and he told me that his four choices, which was an eclectic, diverse array, were Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Feinnes, Val Kilmer, and me."

I can't imagine many scenarios where "Billy" Baldwin and Daniel Day-Lewis would be up for the same part, but this Batman Forever casting short list sort of blows my mind. I get giddy with the thought of seeing young Ralph Fiennes as debonair Bruce Wayne or Day-Lewis displaying his own brand of steel-jawed intensity behind the cape and cowl.

Then I have to remind myself that this is the Batman movie where Tommy Lee Jones mugged it up under day-glo facepaint while Jim Carrey pranced around a giant blender that sucked people's brain waves. All things considered, I think it's better that Day-Lewis and Fiennes chose to sit that one out. It's just too bad Christopher Nolan wasn't making these things back in the mid-90's.










According to Baldwin, though, he thought the part was his when it came to the next Batman film, Batman & Robin, and even admits that Schumacher told him he had the part. Says Baldwin, "The next time, when George Clooney did it, (Schumacher) said, "You were on my original short list with those other three actors, but the studio went with Val and this time I'd like to go with you." And that Friday afternoon, I thought I was playing Batman – and then Monday morning, the headlines in the trades said that George Clooney had gotten the part ..."

While we'd like to think that Baldwin is much better off for never having taken on the role in Batman & Robin, Clooney did go on to become one the most successful actors of our generation. So, make of that what you will ...