Movie Star Turned Down Batman Role Because The Dark Knight ‘Wears Underpants On The Outside’

You might think that only a Joker would turn down the chance to play Batman on the silver screen, but you’d be wrong.

So riddle me this. What household name, particularly big in the 1990s turned down the opportunity to put on Batman’s cape, cowl and utility belt?

None other than perhaps the worst James Bond of them all – Pierce Brosnan.

That’s right folks! The poor man’s 007 met with Tim Burton in the late 1980s to discuss the possibility of the Ireland-born actor playing the Dark Knight, but apparently Pierce just couldn’t take the role seriously.

In a Reddit AMA to promote his latest movie, The November Man, Brosnan spilled the beans on his meeting with Burton and revealed the conversation didn’t so much as crash, but never take off in the first place,

The man who could have been Batman wrote:

“I just couldn’t really take it seriously. Any man who wears his underpants outside his pants just cannot be taken seriously.”

Admittedly, a man with serious parent issues who dresses up as a giant bat, lives in a cave and whose closest companion is called “Robin – The Boy Wonder,” is in need of more than just a little bit of therapy.

And that’s before you take into consideration Batman’s fondness for stalking the streets late at night like a psychopathic predator itching for a spot of casual violence to unleash his inner demons on.

But if Brosnan couldn’t take Batman seriously, why was he so keen to play 007?

When it comes to the crunch, James Bond is hardly any more credible than Batman.

Her Majesty’s secret servant is a ruthless psychopath who likes to dress in evening suits, drive Aston Martinis, kill people, drink Martini, gamble, save the world and sleep with as many women as possible. In essence, every public schoolboy’s fantasy. Hardly what you’d call keeping it real Pierce, old boy.

However, it seems the cartoon Bond regrets the error of his ways. Perhaps after seeing the extra dimension that Daniel Craig introduced into the character of Bond and the magic Christian Bale worked on Batman, Brosnan feels he’s missed the boat somewhat.

The rueful thespian lamented:

“That was my foolish take on it. It was a joke, I thought. But how wrong was I? Don’t get me wrong, because I love Batman, and I grew up on Batman. As a kid in Ireland, we used to get our raincoats and tie them round our neck and swing through the bicycle shed.”

Such is life.