The first glimpse we get of Batman in the 1989 classic is NOT Michael Keaton. In fact, it’s not anyone. It’s animation.
And there IS an alternate, original live-action version that fans are being denied, according to one of the performers in the Batsuit who was filmed doing it.
And it’s sparked quite a debate on the Rewind Classic Movies socials when we shared a short extract from our hour-long Part One Rewind of the movie to talk about it [And yes, we hold our hands up that we mis-spoke and called the original version CGI, when it’s clearly animation].
But Carl Newman, aka the Ballet Bat, the film’s movement double for Michael Keaton’s Batman, says Burton originally filmed an entirely different introduction for the Dark Knight. One that was ultimately cut and replaced by the brief hand-drawn animated shot seen in the finished film.
You can see some of the iconic shots from the movie that featured Carl here:
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Four Men In A Batsuit
Newman shared the behind-the-scenes story on our Facebook page in the comments of the clip in question.
For eleven weeks at Pinewood Studios, Newman worked inside the iconic Batsuit, bringing the elegance and poise of his professional dance training to Batman’s physical performance. His role complemented Sean McCabe’s stunt work and Dave Lea’s fight choreography, helping define the distinctive movement that became synonymous with Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader.
Speaking about a sequence that has never been released but is teased in stills, Newman said: “Mine was actually the original opening sequence, which I filmed with Tim Burton.
“The aesthetics of the photo itself [as seen in the main article image], are stunning, but it was such a fantastic sequence to film. It followed the novelisation, when one of the gargoyles moves. I assumed a yoga position and was making isolated movements, through the waist, back, shoulder and head. I was fighting against gravity and the pull of the suit, cape and cowl and to keep a perfect silhouette.
“Head of wardrobe Annie Crawford, said it looked amazing in ‘rushes’ so I was very disappointed it was not used.”
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‘From Comic Book To Reality‘
Instead, audiences saw a very different version. During Batman’s first appearance on the Gotham rooftops, Burton briefly replaces the live-action Batman with a hand-drawn animated figure as he turns his head on top of a gargoyle before cutting back to Michael Keaton.
The replacement remains one of the most talked-about visual moments in Burton’s film, with fans still divided over whether it works artistically. At least in the comments section.
On Facebook, Tito Mamery wrote: “I understand Burton’s intention to present the evolution from comic book to reality. But I don’t think many people saw it that way. I was 14 when I saw it in the theater, and that shot struck me as very cheap. In my opinion, it wasn’t necessary. But a lot of people loved it.”
The reason the effect can appear slightly unusual isn’t because it’s poorly animated. Live-action films are photographed at 24 frames per second, but traditional animation doesn’t necessarily contain a unique drawing for every frame. Animators frequently work “on twos”, meaning each drawing is photographed twice, creating 12 unique drawings per second. When that movement is placed directly alongside live-action photography, the different cadence becomes noticeable, giving the shot its distinctive look, as seen here:
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What Happened To The Other Footage?
Newman, however, has never hidden his feelings.
“It was quite revolutionary in its own way and such a pity it never got used. I still feel it would have been far better,” he said in the comments.
He also hopes Warner Bros still has the original footage safely stored away.
“WB must have this somewhere and the fans are being denied,” he said.
“It is great that we have this still, from the sequence I filmed, but why not put it as a bonus extra on a Blu-ray Disc?”
Do You Want To See The Original Entrance?
Our Facebook community echoed that sentiment.
Tayyab Mehbub commented: “I really hope that the deleted scene has not been lost forever. It looks so much better than the animated shot that Tim and crew ended up using.”
Whether you love the finished effect or would rather have seen Newman’s original performance, one thing is certain: a piece of Batman history is still sitting unseen somewhere – assuming Warner Bros still has it. If it does, there are plenty of fans who would love to see the Dark Knight’s original entrance finally emerge from the vault.
You can find out more about Carl and his career at https://www.balletbat1989.com/
You can listen to Part One of our Batman 1989 podcast below or wherever you get your podcasts (All the links here). Part Two out July 28, 2026.