George Clooney says he won’t play Batman in the Flash because he destroyed the franchise

“Batman and Robin” is a messy movie, but that blame can’t be blamed on Clooney’s shoulders alone. Even director Schumacher, who took a lot of heat for the campy sequel, cleared Clooney of his role in the film’s abysmal reception.

“Well, you know, that’s very George. First of all, Batman has survived since 1939 – we’re the same age. Nothing ever stopped Batman,” Schumacher told Vulture in 2020.

Clooney still feels at least a little bit responsible for the way the franchise stumbled after the release of “Batman and Robin.” When a Variety reporter spoke to him at the screening of his latest film, “The Tender Bar”, Clooney reassured him that he would not be a part of “The Flash”.

“They didn’t ask me,” Clooney said. “When you destroy a franchise like I did, they usually look away when ‘The Flash’ goes by.”

“Batman and Robin” didn’t exactly kill the franchise, but it put things on hold until Christopher Nolan restarted things in 2005. The tone shifted from Schumacher’s 1960s-inspired schlock to edgy drama. and dark, and Batman fans ate it up. While many Dark Knight fans simply forgot about the “Batman and Robin” blip, Clooney clearly didn’t.