"He never had a comeback , cuz he never left......
I don't know if any saw the interview with Mark Ruffalo on Jimmy Kimmel about Spotlight but at the end JK asks Ruffalo about working with Michael Keaton and he tells a story of when him and Keaton were walking back to their hotel rooms and Mark Ruffalo got himself in a pretty uncomfortable topic discussion
M.R. - (while walking with Keaton) "So man it's so amazing this kind of renaissance that you're having right now its reall.....
M.K. - "What renaissance!??"
M.R. - (nervously trying to recompose himself) ...Well uh ya know, this, this kinda comeback that you're having it's amazin....
M.K. - (confused, slightly irritated) Comeback??!?...... I never knew I left!.....
And they had another 10 blocks to go lol.
Here's the link below (I don't know why I felt the need to type it out lol)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aJE1wFmLZE
Anyway a good point is brought up here and I want to say that Michael Keaton never left acting or was a 'has been' or someone who faded out of Hollywood, he went a different path and did allot of theater because it challenged him more. He never sold out and a perfect example of this is that when Batman Forever was being pitched to the studios they wanted Michael Keaton back so bad that they offered to double his salary from what he got paid for Batman Returns (11 million in 1992 which adjusted for inflation in 2015 = $18,730,471.36). That would also not be including the bonuses and residuals for toys and promotional *beep* he would be getting paid for leading up to the release of the film. Keaton was on board for 14 million as long as Tim Burton was directing and that they would get fair input on how the script was handled, he didn't even go after a ridiculous pay increase only 3 million more than the 2nd one and creative input given to both Burton and himself (this is before they told him Tim Burton wouldn't be directing and that Joel *beep* was directing).
Because Returns was considered "too dark" WB tried to bullshizzle him and say that it would still be like the first 2 and although Burton wasn't directing that he would still be there as 'executive producer'. According to Tim Burton, Keaton quickly skimmed through the script just to humor the wankers at the WB and their new Pedophile director Schmuckfcker just to tell them that the only way he would return was if Tim Burton Directed and that they rewrote the entire script, especially questioning why Billy Dee Williams wasn't reprising his role as dent/two face (as it was in his contract from the original) and furthermore why Tommy Lee Jones face was pink and even furthermore furthermore the biggest WTF.... Why does two face try so hard to be like Jacks Joker????? no back story no nothing just that he hates batman.
So in other words he said this sucks, no thank you.
The studio returned with the $22 million dollar offer (adjusted from 1995 inflation to 2015 $34,508,109.55!!)
Keaton asked 2 questions Is Burton Directing? and is the script going to be redone to what we feel isn't butchering the film??
Answers no and no
Keaton : Thanks but no thanks.
The back and forth went to the point where they offered Mr. Keaton a whopping $35,000,000 which would not only make him the highest paid actor ever at the time but just so we can adjust for inflation = $54,899,265.20 for 2015
Finally Michael Keaton asked if they were either deaf or just downright *beep* stupid????? = No Burton directing = No Keaton as Batman
So I do apologize for the overly long message board post however what is important is that Michael Keaton was never a sell out, nor did he faze out and then pull a Micky Rourke and return with his own 'The Wrestler' being 'Birdman' respectively. He picks and chooses his roles and has just proven to the world that he is and always has been a phenomenal talent and among the few great actors left in the world today.