DC Fans React to Michael Keaton's Batman Return in The Flash Super Bowl Trailer

By Cameron Bonomolo

Batman returns! Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films released The Flash Super Bowl trailer before the big game's kick-off on Sunday, revealing the first full look at Michael Keaton reprising his role from 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns. "Yeah... I'm Batman," an aged Bruce Wayne (Keaton) tells a time-traveling Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and a powerless alternate-reality Barry (also Miller) in the trailer, which you can watch above. The footage also shows the return of Barry's Justice League teammate, the Batman of his home universe (Ben Affleck), and the Kryptonian Kara/Supergirl (Sasha Calle).

"[It was] weirdly and ironically easy. A little bit emotional. Just a rush of memories," Keaton said in a 2021 interview about suiting up as Batman for the first time in 30 years. " Without giving anything away, which I can't, basically the first shot — not of the entire movie, but let's say the introduction [of Batman] — is so good that when we walked on and started talking about a couple of shots and the angles, I went 'whoa, this is big. This is great.' I don't even mean for me. Just the imagery, it's great."

Keaton added director Andy Muschietti's imagery is "reminiscent, to some degree," of Tim Burton, who helmed the first iteration of his Dark Knight in Batman '89 and its 1992 sequel.

Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod (Man of Steel's Michael Shannon) has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he's looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

The Flash opens in theaters June 16th.

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