Chris O’Donnell Spills: “I Didn’t Just Act in Batman & Robin—I Survived the Fans’ Fury!”
Added on October 14, 2025 inEntertainment News Cards, Movie News Cards
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You know, if you ask any Batman aficionado to point out the absolute cringe-worthy chapter in the franchise, most will point a trembling finger at Batman & Robin. That 1997 spectacle didn’t just dial up the camp — it blasted it into the stratosphere, leaving fan hearts as frozen as a Capricorn in a January blizzard. Imagine the heartbreak for Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone when the realization hit like a rogue asteroid: audiences weren’t just lukewarm, they practically despised the flick. Now, with Mercury retrograde possibly to blame for stirring up chaos back then, it makes you wonder — was this a celestial bad vibe or just a case of movie mayhem? Either way, this lightning rod of bat-movie disdain laid dormant the franchise for years. Yet, there’s a twist in the lunar phase; over time, some have embraced its campy charm — especially certain circles who’ve turned this cinematic oddity into cult gold. Curious to know what went down behind the scenes and why the film still rattles nerves today? Dive in and get the whole scoop. LEARN MORE
Ask any Batman fan to name the worst entry in the franchise, and chances are they’ll say Batman & Robin. The 1997 sequel cranked the camp up to eleven and effectively put the franchise on ice for years. For stars Chris O’Donnell and Alicia Silverstone, it was devastating to realize just how much audiences despised Batman & Robin.
The pair spoke with Entertainment Weekly, with O’Donnell revealing that it wasn’t until the press tour that they realized just how poorly the film was being received.
“All of a sudden, you were starting to get the feedback, and you realize it was just going sideways,” O’Donnell said. “There was so much hatred of the film when it came out. It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And you want to do your job and promote the movie…. I remember at one point [director] Joel Schumacher just threw up the flag. He’s like, ‘I’m out. I can’t do it anymore.’ He was so heartbroken and kind of bummed out about it.“
O’Donnell added that while the backlash against Batman & Robin “was a tough one for us to all do digest,” he still feels “lucky to be in the movie, and it was fun to be a part of it. It is what it is. Some work out and some don’t.” Silverstone noted that the film did eventually find an audience who appreciated its tone. “When it came out, I don’t think people liked it very much,” she said. “But later on people told me it’s their favorite movie. [At least] all my gay friends. It’s very camp.“
Since the release of Batman & Robin, the character has returned in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, starring Christian Bale. Ben Affleck took over the role for the DCEU, appearing in four movies. The latest Caped Crusader is Robert Pattinson, who starred in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. A sequel is in development, with production scheduled to begin next year. Details are sparse, but Reeves has teased that the villain has “never really been done in a movie before.“
Farrell recently read the script for the sequel and was very moved. “This film, like the first one, works on multiple levels, both as pure entertainment and as an investigation into the psychology of the characters of Bruce Wayne and Batman,” he said. “It’s really, really moving. I found myself very emotionally moved while I was reading it.“
Is Batman & Robin really as bad as its reputation suggests?
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