Michael Keaton is in the middle of a career resurgence. Source: Getty Images

The one-time Batman star who was largely absent from the 2000s and hasn’t really been on anyone’s radar for the better part of two decades is right smack bang in the middle of his comeback moment.

But the reason Keaton never reached the heights of some of his peers is not because he wasn’t a great actor, but simply because he made some bad film choices.

And he’s about to turn that all around, starting with Birdman.

Birdman is the film everyone’s talking about right now, after a whopping seven Golden Globe nominations and four SAG award noms it received last week, the most of any film.

It’s already attracted serious Oscar buzz with critics predicting Keaton will be a frontrunner for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Michael Keaton portrays Riggan in a scene from "Birdman." Source: AP

Variety has called Keaton’s performance in Birdman “the comeback of the century” while the BBC said Keaton is “on screen for nearly all of the two-hour running time” and “deserves an Oscar nomination, and he should be seen in many more high-profile films from now on.”

Huffington Post called the trailer for Birdman the “Micheal Keaton comeback we wanted” while Washington Post said “Michael Keaton makes a triumphant comeback as an actor seeking a triumphant comeback in the film”.

It’s almost as if the film mirrors Keaton’s real-life experience.

“A washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory,” says IMDb. Keaton, who played Batman, is that washed-up actor.

Add to that the announcement that the 63-year-old will also reprise his role in Beetlejuice 2 next year and his star is well and truly back on the rise.

Actor Michael Keaton in scene from 1988 film 'Beetlejuice'. Source: Supplied

After the release of two more films, Minions and Spotlight, Beetlejuice 2 could possibly happen in 2015 for a 2016 release.

So the question on everyone’s lips is, why did he disappear from our screens in the first place?

“The reality is I was “Doctor No” for a long time,” Keaton told Deadline. “I’m sure I made some mistakes (in passing on projects). I got sick of me saying the same thing. I’m sensitive and wanted to repaint myself. I was turning down things that this man on the sidewalk over here would probably turn down as well. There was a point when (the studios) weren’t coming to me.”

When asked if he had any regrets over not continuing with the first Batman franchise in the ’90s after the second film, he replied: “Not for me. If I didn’t do Batman, Birdman wouldn’t have happened. Christopher Nolan is smart, but I haven’t seen all of the newer films.”

Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Michael Keaton as Batman in 1989 film Batman. Source: Supplied

But don’t think for a second that Keaton is jealous of Ben Affleck, the latest actor to become the superhero on the big screen.

When asked if he was envious of his character being taken over in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he replied: “No. Do you know why? Because I’m Batman. I’m very secure in that.”

BONUS FUN FACT: Keaton was actually born Michael John Douglas, but chose to use a different surname to avoid confusion with better-known actor Michael Douglas.

So why did he decide on Keaton?
After reading an article on actress Diane Keaton, he decided that Michael Keaton sounded good.

Fair enough.

Well this is trippy. Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas in a scene from film And So It Goes. Source: Supplied