Michael Keaton Shares A Funny Story About Accidentally Spoiling Batman ‘89 During A David Letterman Appearance

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It’s almost showtime in the world of 2024 movies, as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be ushering in the long awaited legacy-quel before we know it. As the upcoming horror movie is sure to have its own moments of secrecy and surprise, keeping those thrills under wraps shouldn’t be too hard.

Although talking about that subject did offer a great opportunity to discuss that time Michael Keaton spoiled Tim Burton’s Batman during an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Sure enough, there were some on brand shenanigans as the man himself took part in the recent press day for Warner Bros’ legacy-quel waiting in the wings.

Since I was able to discuss all sorts of Beetlejuice 2 details with the cast, the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Keaton offered a moment to chat about one of the best moments of late night history. When recalling this piece of history with CinemaBlend, Michael Keaton had to laugh and make a certain promise about the Beetlejuice sequel at hand:

That's totally like me. That's so stupid. … Well I'm not gonna blow this, 'cause the ending's unbelievable.

The twist to Batman's 1989 film adaptation is a moment that still packs a punch. With people discovering the film for the first time being taken aback by turning Jack Napier/The Joker (Jack Nicholson) into the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents, it was certainly as controversial as any "Martha!' moment you'd find in more contemporary DC movies.

The fact that this moment has endured, even after such a famed slip of the tongue, just shows how much different media is in the age of the internet. Which especially rings true in the world of the MCU, with both Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland carrying the torch of saying too much on camera, it's not like this phenomenon is going away any time soon.

Taking into account how long fans have been waiting for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to become a reality, the Academy Award nominee for Birdman is absolutely right in swearing up and down he won’t spill his guts any more than he did in Beetlejuice 2’s magnificent first trailer. Though you wouldn't have been wrong in expecting some mischief at the end of that clip above, as Michael Keaton's perfect slip into the voice of that ghost with the most certainly felt like dancing with danger.

What the Batman actor has shared during this press tour is still pretty valuable, without breaching the trust of the moviegoing public. Topics such as Tim Burton’s potential influence on the MCU, Keaton’s feelings on the axed Batgirl movie and a ringing CinemaCon endorsement for this new follow-up have offered some insightful responses in these early innings.

But now that the time is almost nigh to bring Beetlejuice back to the world of the living, it’ll be more important than ever to keep ones’ lips sealed about what such a reunion holds in store. By the way, if you were curious to watch more of Michael Keaton’s 1989 interview on Late Night with David Letterman, you’re in luck! Shared below is that classic clip, complete with the scenes you saw in the excerpt above:

Thinking back on how Keaton has teased the finale to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it is tempting to want to learn more. So that means that if you’re really looking to find out the scoop on what’s gone down between the Deetz family and everyone’s favorite bio-exorcist, there’s only one place to find the truth.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be hitting theaters on September 6th, so be sure to get ready for showtime by practicing those secret keeping skills. And if you’re looking for a nice friendly stroll down memory lane, the original Beetlejuice is available through a Max subscription. Though considering the titles of both films, doing a back-to-back double feature may not be advised, lest The Juice be set loose.