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Comic genius often comes with a dark side, as Matthew Perry knew all too well.

The Friends star, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 54, spent decades battling alcohol and prescription drug addiction.

However, he was also regarded as a humorous man, beloved by millions for his sharp humour and sarcastic mastery.

It’s likely that these two different, yet inextricably connected, aspects of his personality enabled him to relate to another cinematic icon: Batman.

In fact, Perry made reference to the comic book character in his final Instagram post, which he uploaded five days before he passed away. In it, the 54-year-old identified as “Mattman.”

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Fans of Matty, as his pals called him, were quick to point out that the accompanying photo of him showed him lounging in his backyard hot tub at his Los Angeles home, which further infuriated mourners.

His death will occur in that very jacuzzi on October 28, according to sources with the local police.

The 17 Again star’s obsession with Batman was evident in all six of his prior posts, which he made references to before this final one.

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A week prior to his passing, the first installment of the series featured a home theatre with three screens ready to showcase The Batman, the newest movie in the series.

Others displayed the well-known bat emblem in different contexts, such as carved into a Halloween pumpkin, while Perry kept referring to himself as Mattman.

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For a long time, the Canadian-American actor had publicly expressed his admiration for the comic book character.

His 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” is replete with references to this theme; the last chapter is even named “Batman,” you got it.

In his autobiography, he confesses to having called an assistant “Alfred” in jest, and that he used to picture himself as the dark knight and his father as Superman. The assistant then addresses him as “Mr. Wayne,” after Bruce Wayne.

only before the book came out, Perry acknowledged in an interview with GQ that he had once purchased a 10,400-square-foot penthouse in Los Angeles only because it looked like the house that Christian Bale’s Batman lived in in The Dark Knight.

Perry reportedly reasoned at the time, saying, “I’m going to have a penthouse because Bruce Wayne had one.”

He also disclosed in the interview that he was creating a special Batman area in his new home, which he called “a Matt cave,” complete with a pool table, big screen TV, and black sofa encircled by shelves filled with his Batman memorabilia.

Probed on the reason for his obsession, Perry replied: “I am Batman.”

He then explained: “Well, he’s a rich loner. We both drive black, cool cars.”

He then conceded: “I don’t solve crime. But I’ve saved people’s lives.”

In one of GQ’s ’10 things I can’t live without’ features, Perry provided further detail about his irrational behaviour, stating that it started with the Christopher Nolan films and continued through the most recent installment starring Robert Pattinson.

He acknowledged that he had “too much Batman stuff” throughout the deadpan run-through, but he joked at the end of the film that viewers “should probably know by now that I’m Batman” after viewing all of his essentials.

Many of Perry’s 8.1 million Instagram followers, as well as his admirers, conjectured as to whether his recent spate of themed photos represented something more than a simple expression of fandom for the franchise.

They surmised that it was a clue that he had been offered a new Batman role, especially since one of Perry’s captions said, “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

All that is certain, though, is that Perry recognised a lot of himself in Batman. Or perhaps more accurately, did he recognise a lot of himself in Batman?

In any case, the parallels are evident, particularly when you take into account Perry’s previous response when asked what he wanted to be remembered for.

“I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people,” he replied.

The sentiment is an undeniable echo of one of Batman’s most famous quotes: “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

And what Perry did was make people laugh and cry and, ultimately, save lives.

MATTHEW PERRY, ‘FRIENDS’ STAR, DEAD AGED 54

Matthew Perry, known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit NBC sitcom “Friends,” has died, LA Times reports. He was 54.

Perry was found dead Saturday in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, law enforcement sources told the LA Times. Authorities found him unresponsive around 4 p.m, and there was no signs of foul play or drugs on the scene.

Perry gained international recognition for his role as Chandler on “Friends,” which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. He received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2002 for his performance in the beloved sitcom.

Along with “Friends,” Perry appeared in such television series as “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Go On” and “The Odd Couple.” He scored two Emmy nominations in 2003 and 2004 for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his role as Joe Quincy in “The West Wing.”

Perry was the co-creator, executive producer and star of “Mr. Sunshine,” which ran from February to April 2011. Perry played Ben Donovan, manager of a second-tier arena called the Sunshine Center, in the short-lived ABC sitcom alongside Allison Janney.

Perry was born on Aug. 19, 1969, in Plymouth, Mass., to his mother, Canadian journalist Suzanne Marie Morrison, and father, actor and former model John Bennett Perry. Following his parents’ divorce, he was raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario, where he was educated at both the Rockcliffe Park Public School and Ashbury College.

At age 15, Perry moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks until his graduation in 1987. That year, Perry played the role of Chazz Russell on the Fox sitcom “Second Chance,” which was revamped under the title “Boys Will Be Boys” after 13 episodes.

Following the cancellation of “Boys Will Be Boys” after its first season, Perry made his film debut in 1988’s “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.” He had a three-episode arc as Carol Seavor’s boyfriend Sandy on the series “Growing Pains” in 1989 and, after several guest appearances, was cast as a regular on the 1990 CBS sitcom “Sydney.”

Before “Friends” made him a massive star alongside Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc, Perry also appeared on “Who’s the Boss?,” “Beverly Hill, 90210,” “Home Free” and more.

Then, in 1994, NBC’s “Friends,” a show about six pals living in New York in their 20s and 30s, became one of the most popular TV shows of all time. An average of 25 million people tuned into each new episode, and the series finale drew 52.5 Americans, making it the fifth highest-viewed series finale ever and the most-watched TV episode of the 2000s.

Perry’s Chandler was the snarky, self-deprecating friend of the group, but his sarcasm hid a deeper insecurity and awkwardness that was played for some of the show’s biggest laughs. Chandler was best friends with LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani and Schwimmer’s Ross Gellar. He eventually marries Ross’ sister Monica Gellar, played by Cox, and the two adopt twins, Jack and Erica.