Michael Keaton was announced to be returning as Batman for the first time in 30 years as part of The Flash last June, but we’re now ten months down the line with the Scarlet Speedster’s long-awaited solo debut set to enter the full throes of production imminently, and yet the veteran actor recently cast doubt on his involvement.
In an interview a few weeks back, Keaton admitted that he had concerns about traveling to England in the midst of a global pandemic, which is understandable when the star turns 70 later this year. Not only that, but he also cited his jam-packed schedule as another reason why it’s not quite a foregone conclusion that he’ll be suiting up despite almost a year having passed since the news first broke.
Not for the first time, rumors are now circulating that Warner Bros.’ Plan B is to try and entice Christian Bale back under the cape and cowl, which would presumably necessitate a rewrite of some sort given that Christopher Nolan’s Caped Crusader is 22 years younger than Keaton, and also a year younger than Ben Affleck, which would technically make the latter the veteran Batman of the piece.
In any case, tipster Mikey Sutton is reporting that while Bale is on the studio’s radar, it’s not going to be as simple as throwing a pile of money at his door and they face a “significant challenge” in convincing him to return. After all, the Academy Award winner is well known for being very particular about the roles he plays, while he’s never been in it for the fame and fortune. And having tied off his tenure as Batman at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, it’ll certainly take a lot more than a blank check to convince him to reverse that decision for The Flash.
