The Flash is one of the most anticipated superhero movies of all time, probably because it has had one of the longest development times, being announced back in 2014. Plus, it’s not just a movie that will be starring Ezra Miller’s Flash, it will loosely be based on the Flashpoint storyline, and it will include both Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.
The first trailer for the film has fans thinking DC might have something else up its sleeve as well, holding back another character for the film’s release rather than serving him up in the promotional material. That character is Christian Bale’s Batman from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. As farfetched as it may sound, there is some logic behind the theory.
Why do fans think Christian Bale is playing Batman in The Flash?
In the trailer, which you can see here, fans think that one of the shots of Batman is really Bale’s version of the character. This is mainly because Batman is riding what looks like the Batpod from The Dark Knight. The trailer itself already contained two versions of the character with Ben Affleck and Keaton both appearing in the film.
There has never been any talk or confirmation about whether Bale will be returning as Batman. DC could be hiding that he is actually in the movie, reprising his role from The Dark Knight trilogy, but it’s doubtful. Instead, it’s likely that the figure in the trailer is one of the other versions, most likely Batfleck because of how close his cowl looks compared to the one on the Batpod.
Fans are now more likely to expect multiple versions of their favorite superheroes ever since the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire joining forces on the big screen. Just because there were multiple versions of Spider-Man it does not guarantee that we will be seeing multiple versions of Batman teaming up together, even though Keaton and Affleck are confirmed to be in the movie.
If The Flash is following Flashpoint closely, even if it does have some departures, Barry Allen will be running through the Speed Force to an alternate timeline where his mother never died. This would mean that Keaton’s Batman would be from that universe while Affleck’s Batman is from the universe Barry came from, specifically the DCEU from the Snyderverse’s Justice League. For Bale’s Batman to appear, Barry would have to travel to a third universe, which probably won’t happen.
Bale could appear in the film, but it is very unlikely that he will do so. We will obviously know more once the film finally speeds into theaters on June 16.