Michael Keaton’s Batman isn’t just a one-time deal, apparently. Almost a year before he returns in “The Flash,” Keaton already has lined up his next-next appearance as Batman in the DCEU.
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According to a report from The Wrap, it appears the rampant speculation yesterday about Michael Keaton reprising his Batman role once again for the upcoming HBO Max film, “Batgirl,” is actually true. While we don’t know what Keaton’s role will look like in “Batgirl,” his inclusion in the film does lead to a couple of questions.
We know Keaton is set to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming “Flash” film next year. That film is set to deal with multiversal things, which explains how Tim Burton’s “Batman” films will now become canon in the DCEU. However, it doesn’t explain why Keaton is the Batman of choice for “Batgirl.” So, how does that happen?
The easiest answer is to look at the comic book storyline, “Flashpoint,” which inspired the plot of “The Flash.” In that story, the Flash goes back in time to alter the past, and as a result, he throws everything into chaos in the present/future, similar to “Back to the Future.” If that’s the case, there’s a chance that when the dust settles at the end of “The Flash,” we could see a new DCEU with some alterations, including Michael Keaton’s Batman becoming the de facto Caped Crusader, replacing Ben Affleck (who also appears in “The Flash”). We’ll just have to wait and see.
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Speaking to Variety recently, Keaton explained what intrigued him about returning to the role of Batman for the first time in 30 years. And it appears he’s only interested in reprising his Batman character if the project is good and there’s an actual reason for him to show up.
“‘What would that be like?’ or ‘What if I had to do that again,’” he said. “Just because I was curious didn’t mean I wanted to do it. So it took a long time, frankly… I’m not just gonna say I’ll do it. It has to be good. And there has to be a reason.”
“The Flash” is set to debut in theaters on November 4, 2022. “Batgirl,” which stars Leslie Grace as the title character, doesn’t yet have a release date.
