Michael Keaton’s Batman Comeback Originally Included an Aquaman 2 Cameo

It’s been 30 years since Michael Keaton donned the Batman cowl, and DC fans have been waiting for his long-awaited return to the franchise. The actor is supposed to appear in the upcoming The Flash and filmed scenes for Batgirl. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. announced yesterday that it was scrapping the Batgirl film despite the fact that it had already wrapped filming. Many are wondering what this means for Keaton’s DC future. Today, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Keaton had also filmed a scene for the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but it appears he is now being replaced by Ben Affleck’s Batman. 

According to THR, test audiences for the Aquaman sequel were confused by Keaton’s appearance, which makes sense considering The Flash is the movie that explains his return. Apparently, The Flash is supposed to reboot the DCEU timeline, which is why Keaton would now exist in the main universe. Now that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to be released before The Flash, it sounds like Keaton won’t be featured in the sequel at all. Currently, The Flash is still on Warner Bros.’ release schedule despite star Ezra Miller’s current legal troubles. 

As fans reacted to the news of Batgirl’s cancellation with shock and anger, some people began to question whether The Flash was also going to be canceled. According to The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti, “All is good in Flash land,” @FlashFilmNews reported earlier today. With any luck, Keaton’s return as Batman won’t be completely erased. 

“It seemed like fun,” Keaton explained in a recent interview with  Variety. “I was curious what it would be like after this many years. Not so much me doing it – obviously, some of that – but I was just curious about it, weirdly, socially. This whole thing is gigantic. They have their entirely own world. So, I like to look at it as an outsider, thinking ‘Holy moly!’”

“When it came around again, first of all, I was getting curious about it. I thought, ‘Boy, what would that be like?’ And then, coincidentally, there were murmurs, and I got a call from Warner Bros. They wanted to talk to me about something and there was hints of Batman,” Keaton said of his The Flash return while appearing on The Jess Cagle Show late last year. “It has to be good. There’s no reason to do it if it’s not good. It’s not gonna really change anything. And I just jumped in and had fun. And why would you not? You know, I mean, director Andy Muschietti is fantastic, and he’s really creative. I don’t know. It’s fun.”

Upcoming DC Films include Black Adam (October 21st), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (December 21st, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (March 17, 2023), Blue Beetle (August 18, 2023), and Joker: Folie à Deux (October 4, 2024).