The DCEU Bringing Back Keaton's Batman Could Be A Mistake

Michael Keaton is reportedly in talks to return to his iconic Batman role in The Flash, which could be a mistake for the DCEU. News that Keaton could be appearing as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming Flash movie has sparked a wave of excitement among fans of Tim Burton's late-80s/early-90s Batman movies. The return of what many consider the finest on-screen Batman also promises to be a major boon for DC, which has struggled to compete with Marvel in recent years.

Reports suggest the veteran actor will appear, and possibly co-star in The Flash when it arrives in 2022. The movie is said to be a reworking of Geoff Johns' classic comic book storyline Flashpoint, which saw The Flash travelling back in time to save his mother's life, inadvertently creating an alternate universe in the process. It's this alternate universe that Keaton's Batman is said to inhabit in The Flash, with Ezra Miller's Flash reportedly discovering the ageing hero 30 years after the events of 1992's Batman Returns.

And while the return of Keaton's iconic Batman is an exciting prospect, there's the potential for it to be a misstep. Aside from Tim Burton's Batman movies being singular visions that have endured for their stylised take on the Dark Knight, bringing the star of those beloved movies back could simply be an exercise in pandering to fan nostalgia. The return of Keaton's Batman after 30 years would surely be a big event guaranteed to bring audiences to movie theaters (if that's still a thing in two years time). But unless his reappearance serves a genuine purpose for the DCEU going forward, it runs the risk of tarnishing what is a relatively pristine legacy for Keaton's take on the character.

Ezra Miller as The Flash and Michael Keaton as Batman

Capitalizing on fan nostalgia has proven risky business for movies in recent years. The modern James Bond movies are a perfect example. Following Casino Royale, which regularly tops lists of the best Bond movies ever made, the series suffered a setback with Quantum of Solace and tried to re-establish itself with Skyfall and Spectre. Part of the problem with post-Quantum movies was the interjection of classic Bond tropes that had long-since died, such as the gun-equipped Aston Martin – which looks set to return in No Time To Die – and Q-Branch. Often, these attempts to leverage fan sentimentality seem to cover over cracks in the movies' narrative, pacing, and writing.

As Hollywood has become wise to nostalgia as a means of making box office gains, movies have increasingly relied on this somewhat easy fix to maintain appeal. Just look at the numerous times viewers have been treated to a CGI young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the post-T2 Terminator sequels – one of which, Terminator Genisys, even recreated the entire opening scenes of the original Terminator and is still considered the most confusing and unsuccessful reboot attempt. Even Dark Fate wrangling back Linda Hamilton, the original Sarah Connor, couldn't save the most recent Terminator sequel.

It's reasonable to at least hope then, that Keaton's return to DC doesn't follow a similarly hollow pattern. Thus far, there's tenuous reports that Keaton's Batman will fulfil a kind of Nick Fury mentor role for other heroes in the DCEU, which would certainly make for an interesting and original dynamic going forward, and give Keaton's Batman a reason to exist within the modern DC universe. But not only is this all yet to be confirmed, it seems like a strange role for a Bruce Wayne best known for his brooding loner demeanor.

What's more, Keaton's Batman worked so well because he belonged in the hyper-gothic world of the Burton-era Batman movies. The gloomy tone that permeated much of Batman '89, and saturated Returns might well be re-creatable by Flash director Andrés Muschietti, but there's no doubt her would do well to at least consult Burton before bringing such an iconic depiction of Gotham back for the 21st century. In 1989, Keaton proved critics wrong and won sceptical fans over with his performance in the first Batman movie. Hopefully The Flash won't undo any of that impressive legacy.

More: What Michael Keaton's Batman Return Means For The DCEU