Batman fans have been begging for Michael Keaton to reprise the iconic DC role again, playing an older Bruce Wayne in some sort of Batman Beyond movie. Half of that wish has come true, as news broke on Monday afternoon that Keaton, star of Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film, would be taking on the role of Gotham’s billionaire vigilante once again in the upcoming Flash movie, starring Ezra Miller as Barry Allen. This is undoubtedly great new for fans of Batman, but there could be even more on the way. This could be just the tip of the iceberg for Keaton’s Bruce Wayne, who might be appearing in even more DC films in the future.
After the initial news broke, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Keaton is possibly in line for multiple turns as Bruce Wayne. If he finalizes a deal with Warner Bros., Keaton could appear as a mentor-type of character in other DC movies after the upcoming Flashpoint film. This situation sees Keaton’s Bruce Wayne as a character similar to Samuel L. Jackson‘s Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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“If these talks make, sources say Keaton could end up playing Batman in a mentor capacity, a bit like Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury, and appear in multiple movies,” wrote THR’s Borys Kit. “Batgirl is one of the possible projects.”
If these talks make, sources say Keaton could end up playing Batman in a mentor capacity, a bit like Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury, and appear in multiple movies. BATGIRL is one of the possible projects. https://t.co/3FTuQQplZn
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) June 22, 2020
This raises a lot of questions for the future of the DCEU, as the exit of Ben Affleck as Batman left a major hole within the connected franchise. With the arrival of Keaton in Flashpoint, it looks as though Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman will likely be contained to his own trilogy. The disappearance of Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will still need to be explained within the franchise. That said, there’s nothing a little multiverse can’t fix.
Adding Keaton’s Batman to a film like Batgirl makes sense, giving that character a mentor in Gotham City without trying to tie in whatever is happening with Pattinson and Matt Reeves. There isn’t a release date for that film yet, nor is there a director in place, but the script is being written by Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson.
Are you looking forward to seeing Michael Keaton back in Gotham City? Let us know in the comments!
The Flash is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 3, 2022.
