Yeah, you read that headline right. A rumor has been going around for a while that Michael Keaton, who to many is still THE Batman after his two Tim Burton films, could suit up as the Dark Night once more. And now that rumor gets more concrete footing with The Wrap making it somewhat official.
Keaton is said to be in talks to play Batman once more in The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller and directed by Andy Muschietti. You probably figured that was, if anywhere, the place we could see Keaton back in the cape and cowl. Why? Because the Flash is a character whose ability with the Speed Force often has him racing through time, and this particular story is said to be based on the time-traveling Flashpoint arc. The script is currently being worked on by Birds of Prey writer Cristina Hodson.
In the past, we’ve seen rumors suggest Flashpoint could help write-off Ben Affleck’s Batman, and reset the DCEU in a sense. While the latter point seems moot now that there’s been so much recent success, it seems Keaton could be in play for the long haul, playing a version of Bruce Wayne who is an aging mentor to younger heroes. The Flash would certainly fit that bill, and if Ray Fisher’s Cyborg has a role then he would, too.
This also puts the kibosh on any hopes of Robert Pattinson’s Batman joining the Justice League alongside Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and the other DCEU regulars. Matt Reeves’ The Batman, much like Joker before it, is looking more like a standalone than ever before.
