‘Batman & Robin’ Director Joel Schumacher Sets the Record Straight About Heroes’ Sexuality

By Corey Atad. Published: 28 Aug 2019 4:00 PM

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Christine Loss/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock (5884410u) George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell Batman and Robin - 1997 Director: Joel Schumacher Warner Bros USA Scene Still Batman & Robin

Batman and Robin were not gay.

In a wide-ranging new interview with Vulture, director Joel Schumacher addressed longtime readings of his 1997 film “Batman & Robin” that suggest the titular superheroes were lovers.

“If I wasn’t gay, they would never say those things,” the 79-year-old pushes back.

“This all started way before me. Long before I came along, someone wrote a whole thing about what the real message of fairy tales and children’s stories are,” he explains. “Snow White was all about having bad stepmothers. And Batman and Robin are two homosexual men living in a cave, living together. There’s always been this thing about Batman and Robin being gay.”

According to Schumacher, much of the speculation that his Batman was gay came from the desire of some fans that George Clooney be gay.

“There were a lot of people who I would say, in one particular community, wanted George Clooney to be gay so badly,” the director says. “The only people who ever said that to me were definitely gay men. I think it happens with people that are romantic sex symbols who are on somebody’s wish list.”