Michael Keaton has not confirmed his involvement in The Flash, director Andy Muschietti’s upcoming foray into the DC Extended Universe. Keaton is best known for his fan-favorite turn as Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 classic, Batman, as well as the 1992 follow-up, Batman Returns. There were talks of Keaton taking the reins from Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader in The Flash, but that news was recently debunked.
After a great deal of behind-the-scenes issues, production of The Flash is moving forward with Muschietti (IT) behind the camera. Initially, conflict revolving around creative differences and the way the story would be told caused turmoil in the hiring process, but in 2019, Muschietti signed on to direct and has since dropped hints as to the direction the film would take. He promised fans that The Flash would include parts of the comic book story line but is not considered a full adaptation.
When asked about returning as Batman in The Flash, Keaton has played his hand close to his chest. According to ComicBook, Keaton is rumored to possibly enter the DCEU in a mentor role, similar to that of Nick Fury in the MCU. But most of the information acquired about Keaton's involvement comes from Muschietti himself, as Keaton has stated, "If I talk about [Batman], I'll just be bullsh-tting you. I don't really know, I'll have to look at the last draft." It sounds like Keaton is still undecided if he really wants to be a part of the production, and it will be up to how he feels about the story to decide his involvement. Another issue that may impact his involvement is the continued COVID-19 pandemic, as the 69-year-old actor, emphasizing that the shooting schedule in April may impact his decision to participate, has stated, "So, that's my first thing about all projects. I look at it and go, is this thing going to kill me, literally? And you know, if it doesn't, then we talk."
If Keaton does reprise his role as Batman, it will be 30 years and a lot of space between his original portrayal of the character and what the character has been through in his many forms. While Burton's Caped Crusader was a massive hit, and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy climbed to new heights of critical acclaim, there are just as many interpretations of the character that have failed. Keaton's appearance in The Flash would be alongside Affleck's Batman, and it will be interesting to see how the dark, gothic aesthetics of Tim Burton's universe will fit in to the current state of the DCEU. There is no detailed news as to the story line of either iterations of the character or how or if they will interact with one another in The Flash.
To many older fans, Keaton is Batman, and all who followed are simply poor stand-ins. The inclusion of Keaton in The Flash may help bring back some of those original viewers who lost interest in the character after Burton's films. Current fans of the DCEU are excited at the prospect of Keaton returning as Batman, but are still unsure of how things will play out and if The Flash will find its footing in an ever expanding universe of superheroes.
Source: ComicBook
