Initial footage from The Flash trailer hints that Michael Keaton's early '90s Batman faked his death, according to a popular theory. The DC Extended Universe has spent years developing a solo movie for Ezra Miller's Barry Allen. The Flash went through multiple iterations of creative teams, but one of the project's constants has been the idea of it adapting Flashpoint. The iconic comic storyline involves time travel and the multiverse, as Barry Allen tries to prevent his mother's death.
Although Flashpoint is a prominent story centered around Flash, it is well known for including other DC characters. That is why fans long wondered who else could appear in The Flash opposite Ezra Miller. It wasn't until the movie made substantial progress that fans received a major surprise. Michael Keaton agreed to return as Batman and wear the Batsuit for the first time since 1992's Batman Returns. This has left many waiting to learn more about his involvement in The Flash and a possible future within the DCEU. Keaton's Batman return in The Flash is the result of Barry Allen changing the future and past. However, this also raises several questions about what Bruce Wayne is up to all these years later.
Keaton's Batman return has only been teased so far, though, in the first footage from The Flash. Bruce Wayne narrates most of the teaser, but there is not a single shot of Keaton's face, despite it ending with the tease of him possibly putting on the Batsuit for the first time in years. The teases of Keaton's Batman in The Flash are filled throughout the footage, provoking fans to try to piece together how his return connects to, builds off of, or changes the events of Keaton's two Tim Burton Batman movies. There are even signs that he hasn't been seen in a long time, potentially because Batman faked his own death.
Michael Keaton's Batman Is Seemingly Missing In The Flash Movie
Longtime DC fans are sure to quickly spot some familiar locations and movie props during The Flash footage, but their look is quite different from what they'll remember. Tim Burton's Batman movies had a very distinct gothic look to them, yet the actual props and sets themselves offer the most significant visual differences. Wayne Manor is first seen through the fog, but even that can't hide the fact that it is run down. A few glimpses inside Wayne's home show cloths over furniture, dust collecting, and no electricity, indicating just how little upkeep has been done. This point is driven home by the end of The Flash's teaser, as the film's second Barry Allen prepares to pull the sheet off a Batmobile that certainly hasn't seen any action in quite some time.
These moments make it appear as though Wayne Manor is abandoned and that Bruce Wayne hasn't been around as of late. Bruce potentially being absent from Wayne Manor and Gotham for years is intriguing to consider, though, which is why several theories are now circulating. While Bruce could've just stopped being Batman after Batman Returns, the seemingly abandoned nature of Wayne Manor makes it look as though he did more than just that. If Keaton's Bruce and Batman has been missing for a substantial amount of time, it could mean he went to drastic measures to disappear from the regular world, public eye, and superhero game.
Theory: Keaton's Bruce Wayne Faked His Death After Batman Returns
The Flash could reveal that Bruce Wayne faked his death after Batman Returns to explain the trailer's teases of him missing. When viewers last saw Keaton's Batman in 1992, he managed to take down Penguin and Max Shreck but was left searching for Catwoman. The Bat-signal lighting up at the very end teased that Bruce would continue to be Batman again. Since the trilogy was never concluded, The Flash will answer what eventually became of Keaton's Batman. Retirement in some form is likely, but there's a chance the explanation goes to the extreme of Bruce faking his own death.
Like many superheroes, Bruce Wayne's identity and self-worth is driven by his desire and ability to protect others. However, Keaton's Batman is no longer in his prime when The Flash picks up his story, and it is unrealistic to believe a 70-year-old Batman is actively fighting crime. Ben Affleck's middle-aged Batman already showed how tough it is to be a hero after decades of vigilantism. Keaton's Bruce likely wouldn't be able to just retire and walk away from being Batman to live a quiet life as a wealthy man in Gotham. However, he could still understand that his days of fighting bad guys needed to end, possibly so someone else could take on the job. This might force Bruce to go the greatest length to ensure he can't keep suiting up as Batman and fake his own death. Perhaps the shot in The Flash's teaser of Keaton's Batman suit on the ground and blood splattered around it is a suggestive tease of how Bruce faked his death.
Keaton's Batman faking his death after Batman Returns also gives The Flash a chance to explore something other movie Batmen haven't really touched. The Dark Knight Rises ended with Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman "dying" through saving Gotham, but that was used to conclude his story. Keaton's Batman faking his death would instead be an avenue to explain his lack of heroics in recent years and an introductory point to his story in The Flash.
Why Does Keaton's Batman Return In The Flash Movie?
Even if Keaton's Batman faked his death before The Flash, it only makes his return for the DCEU movie all the more intriguing. The explanation for why he's in the film at all can be boiled down to Warner Bros. using the multiverse to bring back an iconic portrayal of DC's biggest character, but that doesn't explain why Barry Allen crosses paths with him. The early look at The Flash shows two versions of Barry Allen traveling to Wayne Manor, where they'll presumably meet Michael Keaton's Batman for the first time. The best explanation for this encounter could be Flash's relationship with Batman in the DCEU.
Ezra Miller's Flash and Ben Affleck's Batman became a mentee/mentor duo in Justice League, and Affleck also appears in the movie as Batman. It would then make sense that Barry Allen seeks out Bruce Wayne once he changes the past and future. However, he likely expects to find another version of Affleck's Batman at Wayne Manor and not Michael Keaton's take on the Dark Knight. While Keaton's Batman might not be the one Flash expects to find, all signs point to him agreeing to suit up again to help fix the timeline. As for what motivates Keaton's Batman to rejoin the fight in The Flash, it could be a desire to play hero one more time, a chance to change part of his past, or something else entirely.
