File this under absolutely unexpected news! The Flash DCEU movie is rumored to have entered negotiations and cast its Batman…none other than Michael Keaton. Keaton played Batman for both Tim Burton-directed films, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) and reportedly will be suiting up again as the Caped Crusader. Rumor also has it that Warner Brothers wants Keaton for multiple appearances as a mentor figure akin to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So what gives?
Last we saw Batman in the DCEU, he helped form the Justice League and continued his crusade against crime in Gotham City. However, Ben Affleck has since retired from the role and Robert Pattinson is currently in the middle of filming The Batman (2021), which is completely separate from the DCEU. Let's dive into where Michael Keaton fits into all of this.
THE MULTIVERSE
The only way I can imagine Keaton returning to the Batman role is through the concept of the multiverse. The Flash movie will probably be an adaptation of the famous Flashpoint comic, where The Flash goes back in time to save his mother from dying and returns to find the future completely different. One of those elements is that Bruce Wayne is not Batman, but his father Thomas Wayne is.
While this cannot be directly adapted involving Keaton (unless Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns after his brief appearance in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), he can return with the concept of the multiverse which features prominently in DC lore. Basically, the Flash can travel to different universes where there are infinite amount of Batman’s. So theoretically, he can travel to the “Tim Burton” universe (for a lack of a better term) and cross paths with Keaton’s Batman. This would allow for Keaton to appear and at the same time not have Affleck appear as the DCEU Batman. Interestingly enough, Ezra Miller’s Flash has already dabbled in multiverse travel when he appeared on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover and met the CW Flash played by Grant Gustin. Was this a possible ploy by Warner Brothers to see if fans would react well to different versions of the same hero crossing over? It certainly seems like it to me!
But this does open up the possibility of having other Batmen appear down the line, should this move be successful or not. I can’t honestly picture any of the other Batmen coming back at this point, so this might just stick to Keaton for the time being. Although now I would say never say never, but good luck to whoever would have to convince George Clooney to return! As for Batman being a mentor, the movie could loosely adapt something akin to Batman Beyond, where an older Bruce Wayne trains and mentors younger heroes. For now, it seems like anything is on the table and up for grabs.
BATMAN OVERKILL?
This plan with Keaton, should it go through, does beg the question: is this too much Batman at once? Assuming this plays out we’ll have Keaton in the DCEU, Pattinson’s take on Batman separate from everything, Affleck semi-returning for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Batman continuously teased in CW’s Batwoman. Now I love Batman as much as the next guy, but to me there’s something about being the Batman for a number of years before handing it off to the next actor. There’s almost a Shakespearean element to the role, and now there’s going to be two or possibly more playing the character at once? Will this take away from Pattinson's debut as the Dark Knight? At the moment, I find it questionable and 50/50 that it works out favorably but for the average moviegoer it may be a lot to juggle and cause some confusion. Only time will tell I guess!
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD WITH MARVEL
Has the DCEU finally found a way to combat the MCU and really crack into a legitimate competition with them? It is certainly possible, given that the multiverse could give the DCEU its own formula for its movies. Now the MCU will get its own crack at the multiverse as well, with the upcoming Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness coming in 2022, with many hoping Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man appears since original Spider-Man (2002) director Sam Rami is directing Multiverse of Madness. But I think if this works out well for The Flash it can make fans more excited for upcoming DCEU movies and leave lots of possibilities for the future in terms of characters from the past or on another medium appearing in movies and vice versa. Suffice to say that the reception to DCEU movies have been lukewarm outside of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, so this could really be a moment for the DCEU to up its game. Fans reacted very positively when mini-crossovers took place on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths last year, so there is no doubt that fans would be excited for Keaton’s return in the DCEU movies.
What are your thoughts on Keaton returning and the DCEU’s multiverse plan? Sound off below in the comments!
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