Michael Keaton is changing his name and it’s going to confuse fans of one actor

Michael Keaton arguably has too many names (how many times can you say Beetlejuice?) but now there could be another… and it’s going to get confusing.

The actor, most recently seen in Beetlejuice 2 alongside being well-loved for his Batman movies, hasn’t gone by his real name since 1978. Michael Keaton is actually a stage name, and he could be planning to change it.

According to an interview with People Magazine, Keaton wants to change his official acting credit… and it’s going to confuse fans of another famous Michael. Keaton’s real name is Michael Douglas – and as we know, there’s already one doing well for himself.

Warner Bros.

In fact, Douglas was the reason Keaton couldn’t get a SAG card under his own name, as well as there being a talk show host at the same time called Mike Keaton (so the nickname was taken).

Technically, the acting credit would change to Michael Keaton Douglas, meaning there’s some level of distinction.

“I was looking through – I can’t remember if it was a phone book,” Keaton explained about finding his stage name. “I must’ve gone, ‘I don’t know, let me think of something here.’ And I went, ‘Oh, that sounds reasonable.’”

This discussion all started thanks to Keaton wanting to be credited in full for his 2023 directorial effort Knox Goes Away… but he almost forgot about it.

“I said, ‘Hey, just as a warning, my credit is going to be Michael Keaton Douglas.’ And it totally got away from me,” he added. “And I forgot to give them enough time to put it in and create that. But that will happen.”

Trailers and posters of the new movie would tell you that Keaton is very much still MK only, for the time being.

Keaton’s latest project Beetlejuice 2 is out in theaters tomorrow, September 6. He told Variety he was “emotional” on first viewing, explaining, “The [original] was so fun and exciting visually. [The sequel is] all that but really beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that. It’s great.”

For more, check out the Charles Deetz controversy in the new sequel, the leaked Denny’s menu, and how to get the viral Beetlejuice popcorn bucket. You can also find new movies streaming this month.