Pierce Brosnan reveals 'stupid' comment that cost him Batman role: 'Obviously, I didn't get the job'

Tim Burton's Batman may have looked very different if not for a throwaway comment from Pierce Brosnan during the audition process.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show, the 69-year-old actor revealed he had auditioned for Tim Burton's Batman back in 1989.

Jimmy Fallon asked the actor, "I'm assuming everyone offered you a bunch of things?"

"No, not really … I went up for Batman way back in the day when Tim Burton was doing it. Obviously, I didn't get the job," the actor said.

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"I remember saying something stupid to Tim Burton, I said, 'You know I can't understand any man who would wear his underpants outside his trousers.'

"But there you go… the best man got the job."

Watch the video above.

The part inevitably went to Michael Keaton, who would go on to revive the role in Batman Returns in 1992.

Whilst Brosnan missed out on the coveted Batman role, he would soon-after land the career changing role as James Bond.

The actor would hold the 007 role for four films from 1995 until 2002. The baton was then passed to Daniel Craig.

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The conversation about superheroes came up after Fallon congratulated Brosnan on his new role as Doctor Fate, who is part of the DC superhero cohort.

The Mamma Mia actor also hilariously revealed that while the Doctor Fate costume is snappy, it is also impractical.

"Everybody wants to know what it was like putting on the costume, but what was it like putting on the helmet? You can't see a thing! It's darkness," the actor jokes.