Michael Keaton is back in black as Batman in DC’s upcoming The Flash movie. Movie-making has come a long way since he was last in the cloak and mask back in 1992 and thanks to visual effects and stunts coming a long way, we are getting a much more dynamic version of his character this time around. Even knowing this though, it’s hard not to do a side-by-side comparison and have a chuckle.
Keaton is back as Batman thanks to the Flash ripping apart reality when he travels back in time to stop his mother from ever being murdered. Due to his actions, Barry is trapped in an alternate reality, one where the superheroes he knew are either gone, or not entirely as they once were. This film similarly plays into the nostalgia trope as Spider-Man: No Way Home did, by bringing back an actor who played the role in the past.
Keaton already wasn’t exactly the youngest when he took on the role of Batman in the late ’80s, being in in his late 30s and early 40s when he played the caped crusader (though that isn’t exactly different to other Batman actors), but now, aged 71, he is back and somehow looking stronger than ever. One fan pointed out how vastly different the fight scenes look between then and now in a post on Twitter, comparing his current fighting to Yoda’s in Attack of the Clones.
In the trailer we see Batman throwing himself around, flipping through the air, and throwing bad guys with big guns around like ragdolls. This is in stark contrast to the fight scene from one of his earlier movies where he simply kicks a guy wielding two long swords.
Today we have better visual effects, phenomenal stunt people who can work in aerial harnesses, and a better ability to utilize light and shadow to hide the fact that it is likely not Keaton pulling off these stunts here. Over the years, superhero fans have come to expect a lot from the fight scenes in these movies and we are glad that Keaton gets to look like a total badass.