Michael Keaton’s Batman days may not be behind him after all. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor, who played Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s 1989 and 1992 takes on the D.C. superhero—then did a meta commentary on that whole experience in 2014’s Birdman—could reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming standalone movie The Flash.
Per the outlet, the idea is to bring Keaton on to play Batman as a mentor figure and action facilitator, in the same vein as the character Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in Disney’s Marvel movies. It’s unclear how this take on the character would clash or align with the upcoming standalone Batman movie starring pasta-cruelty expert Robert Pattinson as the billionaire playboy, but we recommend you don’t think about that too deeply; unfurrow your brow, drop the red pen, and put away any detailed timelines. As THR notes, the two movies will not take place in the same universe, though The Flash will reportedly incorporate both time travel and interdimensional travel, so there could be some overlap—perhaps in a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse sort of way. Reps for Keaton tell Vanity Fair he is in talks for the role.
Keaton was a hit as Batman in Burton’s colorful Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), taking a sharp professional turn after playing the titular ghoul in Burton’s 1988 hit Beetlejuice. There were plans for a third film, which Keaton ultimately rejected. “[The film] just wasn’t any good, man,” he told The Guardian in 2017. “I tried to be patient, but after a certain point, I was like, I can’t take this any more, this is going to be horrible. But, look, there was some really horrible taste in the ’90s, and I probably contributed to that, unfortunately.”
Still, a return to the DC family would mean that Keaton hasn’t soured on the character forever. Joining The Flash would also put him more squarely in that unique club of actors who have criss-crossed between Marvel and DC projects. His most recent superhero-movie turn was as the villainous Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The Flash is set to star Ezra Miller as the titular character, reprising his role in the pre-Snyder Cut Justice League. It’s taken a long road to production, but the superhero movie will reportedly begin filming in London next spring. Andy Muschietti (helmer of the It franchise) is set to direct. We look forward to comparing and contrasting grainy paparazzi set photos of both Pattinson and Keaton playing Batman at the same time.
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