The Flash played fast and loose with DC continuity. That shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone familiar with superhero films: The Flash was inspired by the timeline-hoping comic book story Flashpoint and was released on the heels of James Gunn taking over as DC’s creative director. A takeover that explicitly plans to scrap the DCEU and start from scratch.
What then, does that mean for the end of The Flash? For those who need a fresh recap or who haven’t seen it and don’t care about spoilers, the film ends with Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) putting his timeline back together, with one notable exception: Batman, played by Ben Affleck, has been replaced by George Clooney’s version of the character. Yes, the version from Batman & Robin (1997).
It was an unexpected wrinkle and a cute reference to one of the most polarizing superhero films ever. It did, however, open up a narrative can of worms. Does the timeline hiccup mean that Clooney’s Batman will be the version we get moving forward? Will the owner of the Bat-Credit Card be the one who leads Gunn’s fresh take on the DC Universe?
Gunn was asked about Batman on Threads, and the filmmaker did not mince words when it came to his Bat-plan. The user idavidjordao asked: “Can you confirm wether (sic) or not George Clooney is the DCU Batman? Loved the cameo in The Flash, but some people seem confused about who’s gonna be Batman in your DCU.” Gunn response? “He is not.” Nice and simple. And smart, if we do say so.
Clooney does not have fond memories of his time as Batman. He’s been vocal about his disdain for Batman & Robin, as evidenced by his infamous 2020 interview with Howard Stern. “The truth of the matter is, I was bad at it,” he told the host. The screenplay, written by Akiva Goldsman, who has since won an Oscar for his writing, is widely regarded as terrible, as both he and Clooney would agree. Joel Schumacher, who just passed away, directed it, and he’d say, ‘Yeah, it didn’t work.’ We all whiffed on that one.”
Bringing Clooney back for a cameo was a nice way of ending things on a positive note, but the actor never intended to put the cowl back on full-time. Insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that getting Clooney at all was a long shot and more of a last-minute idea on the part of director Andy Muschietti. They also revealed that Clooney was present for only one day, and his shoot was “quick and efficient.” Given his reputation as an actor and an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, we can’t say we’re surprised.
There’s also the fact that Clooney is 62 years old. He’s avoided franchises for most of his career, so signing up for one as he nears retirement age is unlikely. Clooney is only nine years younger than Michael Keaton, who played a definitively “old” version of Batman in The Flash. It’s much smarter on Gunn’s part to let the veterans ride off into the night and dedicate time to younger actors who are up for appearing in numerous films.
The jury is still out for who will play the DCU Batman. Gunn recently announced that David Corenswet will be playing the new Superman, so it’s only a matter of time before he reveals a new caped crusader to the world.
