8. Robin Was Meant To Be In It, And Possibly Black
Bruce Waynes physique wasnt the only thing that changed after the initial script draft. That original screenplay which had a more comedic edge and was set to be directed by Ivan Reitman, before Burton came on board - had also called for Batmans sidekick Robin to appear in the movie, which threw up another casting quandary for the executives behind the film. Back To The Future star Michael J. Fox was considered for the part, as was Eddie Murphy before the role was officially offered to a then-19-year-old Kiefer Sutherland. The future 24 star turned it down, not fancying the prospect of seeing himself in yellow tights on the big screen. Dick Grayson and his family would have first been introduced in the scene where the Joker cause havoc at a parade. The idea was that the Clown Prince Of Crime would shoot and kill Dicks parents, forcing him into life as an orphan and his eventual alliance with Batman. But the part was eventually cut down to a name-dropping cameo, before being excised from the movie altogether. This decision was quite possibly Tim Burtons: at the time, hed only read the first year of Batmans comic book adventures, prior to the introduction of the Boy Wonder. Its hard to imagine Robin fitting into his film in an effective way, so it seems that Burton made the right call.