The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was a huge deal, as it explored the concept of a DC multiverse for the first time in live-action, connecting various pre-existing franchises together in the process. The DCEU is now set to follow suit with 2022’s The Flash. We already knew that Michael Keaton would be reprising his portrayal of Batman from the Tim Burton movies in the Ezra Miller vehicle, and today, we got official confirmation that Ben Affleck will also be back as Bruce Wayne.
Director Andy Muschietti revealed the bombshell in an interview with Vanity Fair. As for how it’ll feature two separate versions of the Dark Knight, the filmmaker explained that The Flash will open the doors to a “a unified multiverse” that brings together all these different iterations of the same characters.
“This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we’ve seen before are valid,” Muschietti said. “It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.”
For anyone who’s seen “Crisis,” Muschietti’s words are very familiar. It’s clear that the Scarlet Speedster’s solo film will actually be piggybacking off what The CW crossover event already established – that the DCEU and the Burtonverse, as well as many others, are part of the same multiverse.
The opening montage of the first episode of “Crisis” included a scene set on Earth-89, with the presence of Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) confirming it as the Burtonverse. In episode 4, Ezra Miller dropped by for a shocking cameo, where he encountered Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen in the Speed Force. It’s been revealed that Warner Bros. requested Miller’s appearance and now we know that’s because they had plans to build on what “Crisis” established in The Flash.
We shouldn’t expect as many crossovers and cameos as in “Crisis,” but it’s likely that there are even more familiar faces in The Flash on top of Keaton and Affleck. Will WB return the favor and invite Gustin aboard? Anything’s possible.
