Episode Overview

Episode Title: Vault: Michael Keaton Joins The Show
Podcast: The Bert Show
Air Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Bert & The Bert Show Cast
Main Guest: Michael Keaton

In this high-energy, fast-paced episode, the Bert Show welcomes acclaimed actor Michael Keaton, known for iconic roles in Beetlejuice, Batman, and Mr. Mom. The main theme centers around Keaton’s illustrious movie career, why he left the Batman franchise, his perspective on a possible Beetlejuice sequel, and his thoughts on his then-new movie, White Noise. The episode is marked by candid conversation, sharp wit, and Michael Keaton’s signature dry humor, tightly packed into a rapid-fire interview due to time constraints imposed by Keaton’s publicity team.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Comically Limited Interview Time

• Bert and the team learn mid-show that the interview will only last two to three minutes, to everyone’s surprise and mock horror.
  • [02:10] Bert: "We wouldn't have even agreed to do the interview if we knew it was only going to be 120 seconds long."
• The team jokes about how difficult it is to squeeze all their questions into such a short window, suggesting humorous ways to make it work.
• Keaton takes it in stride, offering to “end the interview whenever I want.”
  • [04:04] Michael Keaton: "Okay. I'm pretty much done. Thank you very much."

2. Leaving Batman and Script Quality

• Bert asks why Keaton left the Batman franchise after two films, with the assumption that he’d be the “007” of Gotham.
  • [04:14] Bert: “I thought that when you signed on to be Batman, you were gonna be Batman for 19 different movies. Like the 007 franchise. And I'm just curious, did you back out of that?”
• Keaton reveals his reason:
  • [04:28] Michael Keaton: “Yeah, it was not good. It was not a good script. And I said, hey, I'll do the third one. But we got to redo the script... Interestingly, what they're doing in this one is what I suggested for the third one… But anyway, it wasn't good. And I said, I want to go on to do some other things.”

3. George Clooney “Killed Batman” Rumor

• The hosts probe into the popular notion that George Clooney “killed” the Batman film series.
  • [05:04] Interviewer: “…was there any kind of, you know, secret satisfaction when they kept talking about how George Clooney killed Batman?”
• Keaton responds diplomatically:
  • [05:13] Michael Keaton: “No, I think. I think what happened was George said that ... According to my friends ... he said, 'Michael Keaton clearly is the best Batman. He knows how to do it. I single handedly destroyed it,' which was not true. He's a very charming cat.”

4. Keaton’s Relationship With Batman Movies Post-Departure

• Refuses to watch the later Batman movies:
  • [05:40] Michael Keaton: "Honestly, I've never seen him... I just had no real interest. If somebody would have told me, God, this thing's brilliant, I probably would have got to see it. But I didn't hear that."

5. Is a Beetlejuice Sequel Possible?

• Beetlejuice is a beloved topic among the Bert Show team.
  • [06:02] Melissa: "Beetlejuice is one of my favorite characters ever. And I have to know from you, will there be a sequel? Would you take that role if there was a sequel?"
• Keaton is enthusiastic about returning:
  • [06:10] Michael Keaton: "I'm dead serious ... you should start a groundswell because ... it's a guaranteed money maker for them. And also, it's one of the only things I'd like to do... If Tim Burton would produce it, I would love to do it again."
• Notable joke regarding activism:
  • [06:39] Michael Keaton: "You call 1-800-GROUNDSWELL."

6. Legacy: The One Movie

• The cast asks Keaton what film he’d like to be remembered for:
  • [06:45] Burt: “…what is the one movie you want people to look at for Michael Keaton as the legacy that he left behind?"
• Beetlejuice stands out:
  • [07:05] Michael Keaton: “…it might be Beetlejuice. Because I think what my goal has always been ... is originality ... And I think that movie is truly a piece of art ... There was nothing like it. So maybe as an artist, I would want to look back and go, you know, it's that... probably that one, I guess.”

7. White Noise and Attraction to the Project

• Why White Noise was irresistible:
  • [07:52] Michael Keaton: “...I really wanted to go back to work, but only in something that interested me. And when I read this, I thought it was Just one of the better written things I'd seen and really unusual and totally different... it's kind of a thinking man's version of this genre and very scary...”
• Thoughts on the film’s resonance and its reception by TV hosts:
  • [08:36] Michael Keaton: “I was on the Today show with Katie Couric ... and Dr. Phil did the same thing ... it's making people talk because it's this phenomena that I guess is starting to pop up ...”

8. On Being Scared by Scary Movies

• Keaton downplays his own fear:
  • [09:09] Michael Keaton (joking): "Well, you know, you're talking to a guy who gets scared, like certain kinds of cheeses."
  • He explains that little actually scares him in movies, but he enjoyed scaring family as a kid and lists the few films that did rattle him, such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and Poltergeist.

9. Paranormal Beliefs & Research for White Noise

• Melissa asks about contacting the other side (a theme of White Noise):
  • [09:48] Melissa: "Do you think that we can get messages from the other side? Because it's kind of what we..."
• Keaton’s answer evolves during research:
  • [09:51] Michael Keaton: "...before I started this film. No, I never even heard of this. I don't even know what people are talking about. ...I had to do a whole rethink about it. ...it was verified by respected scientists that there is something that comes across that they can't explain. They have recordings of Gregorian monks going way, way back and they hear voices in them that they can't explain."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On limiting words:
  • [03:17] Michael Keaton (to Bert): “Are you making good use of your words or are you good with the language?”
• On leaving Batman due to a bad script:
  • [04:28] Michael Keaton: “Yeah, it was not good. It was not a good script...”
• On setting up a movement for Beetlejuice 2:
  • [06:39] Michael Keaton (joking): “You call 1-800-GROUNDSWELL.”
• On his artistic legacy:
  • [07:05] Michael Keaton: “...it might be Beetlejuice. ...I think that movie is truly a piece of art because ... there was nothing like it.”
• On being scared:
  • [09:09] Michael Keaton (joking): “You're talking to a guy who gets scared, like certain kinds of cheeses.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:35] — Introduction to Michael Keaton’s guest appearance
• [02:10] — Realization of abridged interview window, hosts scramble
• [03:17] — Michael Keaton jokes about being “chatty” and “wordy”
• [04:14] — Batman franchise: Keaton explains his departure
• [05:13] — George Clooney “killed Batman” discussion
• [05:40] — Keaton admits he never watched later Batman films
• [06:09] — Beetlejuice sequel: Keaton’s enthusiasm and suggestions
• [07:05] — Legacy movie: Keaton picks Beetlejuice as his artistic highlight
• [07:52] — Attraction to White Noise, unusual script, and genre innovation
• [09:09] — On being scared and horror movies that shook Keaton
• [09:51] — Beliefs and research into the paranormal for White Noise

Summary in the Bert Show’s Style

This episode is a wild ride packed into a brisk, joyfully chaotic interview. Michael Keaton’s authentic, wry humor shines in every segment, whether talking Hollywood inside baseball, the unusual chaos and creativity behind Beetlejuice, or confronting his own reputation as Batman. The Bert Show crew keeps it real and relentlessly funny, even under the pressure of a ticking clock. For fans of Keaton, 80s/90s movies, and clever radio banter, this vault episode is a must-listen.