--- title: Michael Keaton: Batman Is Better Than Spiderman description: It has long been debated who the best superhero is, but Michael Keaton may have finally settled the controversy over one matchup. canonical: https://time.com/4108070/michael-keaton-explains-batman-better-than-spiderman/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-11T15:56:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:56.664Z og:title: Michael Keaton Explains Why Batman Is Better Than Spiderman og:description: The proof is in the tears og:url: https://time.com/4108070/michael-keaton-explains-batman-better-than-spiderman/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Michael Keaton Explains Why Batman Is Better Than Spiderman twitter:description: The proof is in the tears twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Michael Keaton Has a Very Simple Explanation for Why Batman Is Better Than Spider-Man ## Video: The Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Masterpieces [Watch (HLS stream): The Top 5 Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Masterpieces](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xe99vdU4.m3u8) (4:45)  _Published 2010-01-11. Steven James Snyder, Techland's resident movie geek, outlines the top 5 most under-rated sci-fi movies of all time_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 11, 2015 3:56 PM UTC  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Nov 11, 2015 3:56 PM UTC It has long been debated who the best superhero is, but former Batman Michael Keaton may have finally settled the controversy over one matchup. On Tuesday’s episode of the _The Tonight Show_, the 64-year-old actor sat down with Jimmy Fallon and offered his evidence for why Batman is better than Spider-Man. The anecdote revolved around Keaton going to a repair store where he ran into an employee watching a Spider-Man movie. The employee was so involved in the film that he didn’t notice who his customer was, so Keaton stood with him for a while watching. They got to a scene where Peter Parker starts crying on screen, which gave Keaton the proof he needed that his superhero alter ego is superior to Parker’s. “Batman would never cry,” he explained. 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