Is Michael Keaton returning to his Batman role for the DCEU?

To all you nostalgia-induced folks who believe Michael Keaton as Batman was the ultimately superior version of the beloved superhero, then we’ve got some news for you. Returning from his role in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, Michael Keaton has just been officially confirmed to appear in a new development of a Dark Knight film, and hardcore fans everywhere are excited.

Keaton

— Brooks Barnes (@brooksbarnesNYT) January 2, 2021

All the details

According to Brooks Barnes who recently wrote a piece on DC films president Walter Hamada for New York Times, a quote from Hamada insinuated that Michael Keaton would be replacing Ben Affleck as the main Batman in the DC Universe. Hamada told Barnes: “Coming up for instance, Warner Bros. will have two different film sagas involving Batman – played by two different actors – running at the same time”.

One fan eager for solid confirmation tweeted at Barnes to clarify the fate of the roles, writing “Based on your Hamada piece, some have interpreted that WB is doing 2 franchises starring Batman, one with Pattinson, one with a new actor. Is that correct, or you were referring to Keaton as a second Batman, being part of a non-Batman-centric saga? Thank you!”

In response, Barnes tweeted a simple: “Keaton”, clarifying the answer many fans everywhere were waiting for. The original plan when Michael Keaton signed on to star in The Flash (2022) was for him to be the DCEU Batman. Ben Affleck is also set to make an appearance as the beloved Bruce Wayne character, but was reported to be a “glorified cameo” and his “cool way to segue out of the role”, according to Batman on Film. 

The Flash (2022)

Currently, plans for the production of The Flash (2022) is set to begin in April at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom and is scheduled to release on November 4th, 2022. At the moment, the filming space is taken up due to the production of another highly anticipated film in the DC universe, The Batman (2022) starring Robert Pattinson. 

While decisions for casting are still in the works, officials have already confirmed Ezra Miller will return playing the Flash as the main protagonist, with Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck playing two different versions of Bruce Wayne. Billy Crudup has also been reported to continue his role as Barry Allen’s father. However, Ray Fisher has already said he wouldn’t be continuing his role as Cyborg under Walter Hamada’s wing. 

Rich Delia and Kate Ringsell are reportedly in charge of the casting process for the upcoming film. For all the anticipating fans though, there’s no need to worry. Both casting directors have had their fair share of experience in the casting process before, with Delia working on Shazam!, DC Universe’s Swamp Thing, and The CW’s Stargirl, and Ringshell helping to cast the original Wonder Woman film. 

When asked about the two different Batman roles in the film, JoBlo reported that The Flash director Andy Muschietti said, “[Affleck’s] a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before”. 

“It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in. He’s the baseline. He’s part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure. There’s a familiarity there”.

—

Are you excited to see Michael Keaton star in another Batman film? Will you be sitting front-row in the theaters as soon as it comes out? Let us know in the comments.