A couple of years ago, it would have been insane to imagine Michael Keaton returning as the Dark Knight for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns, but the veteran actor is making two appearances as the costumed crimefighter in quick succession.
Even though the currently-shooting Batgirl doesn’t have an official release date locked in as of yet, the general expectation is that Leslie Grace’s debut as Barbara Gordon will arrive on HBO Max before the end of 2022, while The Flash is guaranteed for November.
We’re getting Robert Pattinson, Ben Affleck, and Keaton all playing the Caped Crusader in the space of nine months, which is wild when you think about it, especially when March’s The Batman marks the iconic superhero’s first standalone movie in a decade.
Speaking on The Jess Cagle Show, Keaton spoke very highly of The Flash director Andy Muschietti, who was clearly integral in convincing him to suit up again.
“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. 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.”
While plenty of fans are mourning the imminent loss of Affleck, who insinuated The Flash would mark the end of the line for his iteration of Batman, it would be fair to say that the unexpected return of Keaton under the cape and cowl for what’s presumably a handful of projects is a more than acceptable substitute.