Last summer, the news broke that Michael Keaton was – against all the odds – returning as Batman for the first time in 30 years in The Flash movie. DC fans were overjoyed, but recently that gave way to confusion as the star himself seemed to throw doubt on whether he was actually coming back or not. This led to a lot of talk in regards to if Warner Bros. could be forced to change their plans at the last minute to replace him.
The good news is, though, that all the worrying was for nothing as Keaton has now officially signed up for The Flash. As the Ezra Miller vehicle started shooting in the UK today, The Wrap reached out to the Batman actor’s talent agency, ICM Partners, for clarification on whether Keaton is joining the project or not. His reps confirmed to the outlet that yes, he most certainly is. It seems that his outspoken concerns about traveling across the globe amidst the pandemic have been assuaged, as we now know he’ll be making his way to the set in London sometime soon.
Keaton made his debut as the Dark Knight in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie, returning with the director for 1992’s Batman Returns. After WB took a different route with the franchise, he stepped aside, eventually switching over to the Marvel universe in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. But now he’s back as Bruce Wayne, with his return expected to be tied into the Scarlet Speedster messing with the multiverse. What’s more, this could be just the start of his DCEU career, as it’s widely expected that the studio has a Batman Beyond film with Keaton in development.
Remember, the actor is just one of two Dark Knights appearing in The Flash, as Ben Affleck is also reprising his take on the Caped Crusader. It’s currently unclear who will have the majority of the screen time, but we do know that the Beetlejuice star’s role is no mere cameo and he’ll have a prominent presence in the movie, which is drawing inspiration from Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths, even if he doesn’t necessarily suit up in the cape and cowl.
The Flash is scheduled to sprint into cinemas on November 4th, 2022.