The Flash will see the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman three decades after the release of Batman Returns, and he’s back with a variety of costumes that hint at what happened to him between movies. Before the new DC Universe kicks off, The Flash will arrive to reset the universe and make the transition smoother. Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash is finally arriving in theaters after various delays and behind-the-scenes issues, and it will see Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) in the biggest adventure he has gone through.
Influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint, The Flash will see Barry Allen using his powers to travel back in time to prevent his mother’s murder. However, this will bring unintended and massive consequences on his timeline, trapping Barry in an alternate reality where metahumans don’t exist. Barry will also meet alternate versions of himself and will team up with those of other heroes to bring down the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) before they return to their universes. Among Barry’s allies is Michael Keaton’s version of Batman, who will have seven costumes in The Flash, which hint at what happened to him between Batman Returns and this new adventure.
Why Michael Keaton Has So Many Batman Suits In The Flash Movie
A TV spot for The Flash features some of the scenes from the full trailer as well as a couple of new scenes. Among them is one that shows all of Keaton’s Batman costumes, and they are all different. The suit Keaton wore in Tim Burton’s Batman is one of the most popular and beloved ones from all Batman film versions so far, so much so that it has been used as a reference for many comic book artists. Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns went for a comic book vibe that was reflected in Batman’s suit, but the DCEU’s version of the character has a different tone, and a lot of time has passed since the events of Batman Returns, so it’s expected that Keaton’s suit has gone through some significant changes.
What might come as a surprise, however, is how many suits Batman has now, with a total of seven, all of them with some slight differences (at least from what can be seen in the TV spot, as the image is quite obscure). Keaton’s Batman didn’t retire immediately after Batman Returns, and all those suits show that he was active for a long time between that and the events of The Flash, and the suit would have inevitably had to go through some improvements depending on the missions and villains he encountered.
What We Know Happened To Michael Keaton's Batman After Batman Returns
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In Batman Returns, the Caped Crusader came face to face with Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Danny DeVito), a deformed crime boss looking for power and respect in Gotham City, regardless of the cost. Batman also had to deal with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) and Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), Shreck’s former secretary who after being almost killed by her boss, became Catwoman and went on a revenge mission against Shreck. At the end of Batman Returns, the Penguin died and was laid to rest in the water by his loyal penguins, Shreck was electrocuted to death and Selina was seemingly killed, but her silhouette was seen at the end as the Bat-Signal shone above the city, while Batman carried on with his role as Gotham’s vigilante.
Batman Returns was the end of Keaton’s Batman story on the big screen, but it had a continuation in the comics. Batman ‘89, written by Sam Hamm, is an alternative continuation of Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns that completely ignores the events of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, thus focusing on Keaton’s version of the Caped Crusader. In it, Gotham is, once more, in chaos now as the result of a war between a gang of Joker-inspired criminals and a group of vigilantes dressing up as Batman. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent vows to take down the real Batman, but an incident during a council meeting leaves him disfigured and mentally unstable, transforming him into Two-Face. Dent steals information that grants him dominance over all major politicians in Gotham City, and he shows his power by killing mob boss Carmine Falcone – meanwhile, Batman teams up with Catwoman and Drake Winston, one of the other masked vigilantes, to stop Dent and the gangs.
Dent then tries to blackmail Batman into becoming his enforcer by telling him he knows his real identity, but Batman refuses and lets him decide his fate through a flip of his coin, but Catwoman arrives and kills Dent. Batman and Catwoman have a fallout, leading her to send a package to Dent’s fiancée, Barbara Gordon, with evidence of Batman’s secret identity and a letter offering her partnership to incriminate Gotham’s power elite. Batman ‘89 ends with Bruce deciding whether to go out on patrol or not by flipping a coin, while the Bat-Signal shines above.
Michael Keaton's Flash Movie Batman Suits Make Him DC's Iron Man
Surely, Keaton’s Batman went through a lot more than just dealing with Harvey Dent and a gang of criminals since Batman Returns was released, but the different suits and where he is by the time The Flash begins make him DC’s version of Iron Man. Keaton’s Batman is now a seemingly retired superhero, which happened to Iron Man between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and he will be called back into action by a massive and dangerous event. Batman, just like Iron Man, also has now a collection of suits that have improved through the years depending on what he needs, and he might need to come up with a new one for his next adventure in The Flash.
How Michael Keaton's Batman Fits Into The Flash Movie
Although The Flash is finally coming out in the summer of 2023, not many plot details have been revealed, so Keaton’s Batman role in it is still a bit of a mystery. However, the Super Bowl 2023 trailer for The Flash revealed that Batman will offer his help to Barry Allen, and together, they will rescue Supergirl (Sasha Calle), who has been turned into a government lab-rat. It’s to be seen, however, if Barry Allen needing help to fix his multiverse mistakes will be what brings Batman out of retirement or if something else will, as well as if he will meet his alternate version (Ben Affleck) or not. Michael Keaton’s Batman might also be a mentor figure to Barry Allen, but he might not have a future beyond The Flash as he doesn’t seem to be included in the DCU’s plans for now.
