In front of the TCL Theatre in Hollywood, a long red carpet had been rolled out early in the day.
On one side of the carpet, eager fans were already crowding in.Some had arrived a full day in advance—not booking a hotel, but camping overnight in tents pitched on the open space beside the theatre.
The next morning, they packed up their tents and either stowed them in their cars or stacked them neatly in a corner.
With so many people around, safety wasn't a concern.And as for catching a cold? It was just one night.Besides, winter in Los Angeles isn't really cold.
These devoted fans all bore some sort of Batman symbol—keychains, masks, utility belts.They were also diehard members of the so-called "Meyers Gang," proudly holding up posters of Martin.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, just over two hours before the 7 p.m. premiere, the red carpet was already flanked by densely packed crowds.Fans were chanting Martin's name and mimicking the iconic Batman line:"I'm Batman!"
The atmosphere was electric even before the event had begun.
Reporters, too, had arrived early. Some official photographers were calmly stationed in marked-off zones with their cameras set, while others jostled in the press area, trying to claim the best spot.
To get a good position, reporters shoved each other and swore openly.
Especially the photojournalists lugging giant lenses—they were like men possessed, red-faced and wild-eyed, muscling their way forward under the weight of their gear.
Hundreds of security personnel and police officers had formed a human barricade along the rails lining the red carpet.
Tension was in the air as officers kept sweeping glances across the crowd, scanning for any sign of trouble.
At this point, the celebrities were already waiting inside their cars, ready to make their entrance.
Inside one of the vehicles, Martin and Anne Hathaway were chatting.
Anne leaned in curiously, gossip on her mind."I heard Warner originally wanted to invite George Clooney—the old Batman—to the premiere, but he turned it down. Is that true?"
Martin nodded. "Yeah. It's true. Clooney has said many times that he wants nothing more to do with Batman. He's openly admitted he deeply regrets ever taking the role."
"Really? Why?" Anne looked genuinely surprised.
"It's complicated," Martin replied. "I remember Clooney told the media in an interview that at the time, he'd already made it big from ER. He wanted to break into films, so he accepted the role in Batman & Robin. But he later called it one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He said the film had no acting challenge, the plot was shallow, and he was blinded by the massive paycheck Warner offered."
Martin grinned. "Clooney said that after learning his lesson, he stopped taking high-paying, low-substance roles. He only wanted to work with directors he admired or produce his own projects using good scripts. Ha!"
Anne nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like Clooney's got ambition."
Martin chuckled. "Actually, it was more like damage control. Batman & Robin was so terrible that the entire cast had to apologize publicly. Clooney was roasted by fans—hard. Even after all his apologies, people wouldn't forgive him. It left him with a serious psychological shadow around Batman."
"I read somewhere that he used to get piles of hate mail every day," Anne added. "People said he ruined Batman. Some even sent death threats. No wonder he refuses to be linked to the character again. He doesn't want to reopen that wound."
Martin laughed. "I've seen that movie. It was awful. The one thing that stuck with me? That ridiculous Bat-suit with the sculpted abs. People tore it apart! Rumor was, Clooney refused to work out for the role, so they sculpted muscles into the suit. But actually, the designer was Joel Schumacher."
"Right?" Anne burst into laughter. "Clooney got blamed hard for that. No wonder he's still mad."
"Totally. In 2003, Schumacher got hold of a great script and personally called Clooney to patch things up and offer him a role. Clooney rejected him flat-out."
"2003?" Anne asked. "Great script? Wait—was it Phone Booth?"
"Bingo," Martin said.
"That was a great movie. What a shame Clooney passed on it," Anne said, genuinely disappointed.
"Not really. He was filming Ocean's Twelve at the time, and that turned out well, too."
As time ticked toward 7 p.m., a low, throaty rumble echoed across the street—
The crowd erupted into chaos. Fans surged forward, screaming with excitement. Security guards and police, faces suddenly tense, struggled to hold them back.
A stunning, jet-black vehicle rolled up the red carpet—
The Batmobile had arrived.