Michael Keaton to Reprise Batman Role in ‘The Flash’
By George Robbins
Warner Bros. DC Extended Universe, or DCEU, has already found a place for itself as a mainstay film franchise, even if most of the movies are not well liked. One of the characters that is supposed to be the most prominent is Batman, but it seems as though no one is quite sure who should have the role. After the terrible response by fans and critics following the release of 2017’s Justice League, no one was quite sure where most of the DCEU would go moving forward. Ben Affleck had the role of the caped crusader and was meant to star in the standalone film ‘The Batman’ following Justice League, but he eventually stepped away from it.
Affleck was meant to stay on ‘The Batman‘ project as a director but left the project altogether eventually. This opened up a massive gap in the roster that, for the DCEU to continue onward, needed to be filled by somebody. This is how we ended up with Robert Pattinson taking over the role as the Dark Knight and starring in the upcoming film. Although filming for the movie has temporarily halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, the movie still has an October 2021 release date. The question is how the film will fit in with the universe it is meant to be set in and if it is truly the same Batman from other films.
The last question is one that stems from news that Michael Keaton is in talks to reprise his role as Batman in the future film ‘The Flash.’ Most other characters from the ‘Justice League’ film have already had a standalone film and the upcoming ‘The Batman’ serves as the titular character’s film. Though it is not at all surprising that the character is going to appear in another film starring another Justice League member. What is surprising is the choice of casting and what this means for the DCEU moving forward. We will get to see a multiverse storyline that only The Flash can introduce to the universe we have already seen. We won’t really know the full extent of it until the film releases some time down the line.
As of now, it seems ‘The Flash’ will follow the Flashpoint storyline where Barry travels back in time to save his mother, thus creating an alternate universe. This is the film adaptation, so there are some creative liberties that will be taken in order to make the story original, but it includes Keaton’s Batman. If he were to return to the role, it is even speculated that he could play the part of a mentor in the new multiverse that this would establish. He could also play a part in an in-development ‘Batgirl’ film in the future as well. At this point it is just what is speculated, but hopefully he will join the cast and within the next couple of years we can see him reprise his role.