Michael Keaton candidly discussed his upcoming Batman return for The Flash.
In one of the biggest surprises coming out of the DC Extended Universe, Michael Keaton is set to return as Batman for The Flash. Keaton last graced the screen as The Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, which hit cinemas all the way back in 1992. The star famously walked away from the role after he rejected Batman Forever, which brought Val Kilmer in as The Dark Knight.
Details are slim on how Michael Keaton will return as Batman for The Flash, but seeing as the film is influenced by the iconic Flashpoint storyline, it’s safe to say the concept of the multiverse will be at work.
Despite stepping away from the role three decades ago, Michael Keaton opened up about his upcoming return while speaking with SiriusXM’s Jess Cagle and Julia Cunningham. While chatting with the hosts, Keaton detailed how his preconceptions about the superhero genre had evolved, which led to him wanting to explore the role of The Caped Crusader even further.
“And then the third [Batman movie], I just couldn’t do. I just thought, ‘Well, this is not good. This is not good. I just can’t do it. I just I’ll blow my brains out. Just can’t live with myself.’ And so I walked away and then as time went on, it’s like I caught up with culture, I guess, or they certainly didn’t catch up with me, but that everything that’s happened in that world, the superhero world in Marvel and DC and fan boys and Comic Con, and the Zeitgeist of all that stuff, I was really out of it to be honest. And at some point you’re a jerk, if you don’t go, ‘Well, this is a legitimate world. You’re no better or worse than this, but I’m naïve.’ So when it came around again, first of all, I was getting curious about it. I thought, ‘Boy, what would that be like? I wonder what that would be like.'”
Michael Keaton continued by revealing that around the same time he was exploring the idea of Batman’s return that there were rumors of Warner Bros. wanting him back. The star went on to detail his meeting with the studio, which eventually manifested into him returning for The Flash.
And then coincidentally, there was murmurs. I got a call from Warner Brothers. They wanted to talk to me about something and there was hints of Batman, but I think it was about some other thing regarding Batman. I don’t know what it was and when we went to dinner, I told them the story of when I gave a commencement speech at Kent State University. And I told them the story and I kind of saw their eyes kind of light up. They kind of started looking at one another. And I got a call later saying, ‘Hey, we want you to read something.’ And I just thought, ‘Of course you had to do this.’ But it has to be good. There’s no reason to do it if it’s not good. It’s not gonna really change anything I don’t think. So, it’s really good. And I just jumped in and had fun. And why would you not? You know, I mean director, Andy Muschietti is fantastic and it’s really creative. I don’t know. It’s fun.”
Michael Keaton is also set to reprise his role in HBO Max’s Batgirl, which is currently filming in Glasgow. The solo Batgirl project is supposed to be heavily influenced by The Flash, though it’s unclear just how large of a role Keaton will have in the film.
Directed by Andy Muschietti from a script written by Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson, The Flash will be inspired by the Flashpoint comic storyline, which followed The Flash as he navigated an altered DC Universe. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Andy Kuber, Flashpoint radically altered the status of the DC Comics universe and led to the launch of the New 52 titles. It is currently unknown how much inspiration the upcoming Ezra Miller film will take from the comic.
The upcoming solo film will star Ezra Miller reprising their role as Barry Allen from Justice League joined alongside Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, Ron Livingston replacing Billy Crudup as Henry Allen, Sasha Calle debuting as Supergirl, and the return of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as their versions of Batman.
The Flash will hit theaters on November 4, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the future of Michael Keaton’s Batman and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Jess Cagle via SiriusXM
