Michael Keaton isn't interested in talking about his role as Batman in The Flash because he doesn't want to spoil any bit of it. Well before Ben Affleck and Christian Bale donned the famous cowl for their respective DC movies, Keaton was the definitive onscreen Batman, and he remains that for many fans. The Oscar-nominated actor played Bruce Wayne in two movies, Batman and Batman Returns, before turning down the chance to return for a third. And yet, he signed on last year to play the DC hero once again in the upcoming Flash movie, much to the delight and surprise of fans.
The Flash stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen in his first-ever live-action solo movie. Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash is a film that has endured numerous delays and changes over the years, but finally got off the ground with production earlier this year. It is currently scheduled to premiere in November 2022, and it's expected to adapt a version of the Flashpoint storyline from the comics, which finds Barry running back in time to save his mom, only to cause multiversal consequences.
One of those consequences is the apparent arrival of Keaton's Batman, though the actor won't be saying much about it. During a recent interview with The Sunday Times (via The Independent), Keaton shut down any talk about his role in The Flash. "I’ll be frank, I don’t want to talk about it because it takes the fun away," he said. Beyond that, Keaton added it took "a fair amount" of persuading to get him to come back for the part.
Fans have been trying to get any information they can about Keaton's grand Batman return, but details have largely been kept tightly under wraps. A trailer for The Flash was unveiled at DC FanDome last month, and though Keaton wasn't directly shown in it, he could be heard questioning Barry's motivations. He won't be the only Batman in The Flash, as Affleck is poised to make an appearance in the film as well. The question on many fans' minds is whether the two Batmen will come face to face in The Flash, though since everything is being kept a secret, fans will likely have to wait a while to find out.
Keaton's refusal to tease his part in The Flash, while perhaps disappointing for some fans, makes a lot of sense. These days, so many people are online are eager to find out everything immediately instead of just waiting to watch it unfold as it's meant to. By not giving too much away about his Batman return, Keaton is keeping the excitement alive. The Flash is still a long ways away, and there will surely be some news about Keaton's role in the coming months. For now, though, it isn't coming from him.
Source: The Sunday Times (via The Independent)
