Michael Keaton's potential return to the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne raises obvious questions about how this could affect the Robert Pattinson's Michael Keaton is in talks to reprise his Batman role in The Flash movie, set to arrive in 2022. The star famously portrayed the Dark Knight in Tim Burton's genre-defining Batman back in 1989, and his return will no doubt be welcomed by legions of fans eager to see their childhood Batman return to the screen. But with Matt Reeves' The Batman, which will feature Robert Pattinson's highly-anticipated take on the character, set for a 2021 release, Keaton's potential reappearance raises obvious questions about whether the Batman reboot will be affected.
Keaton appearing in the Batgirl movie. Meanwhile, The Batman has gone through its share of development issues, transforming from a Ben Affleck-helmed standalone movie to its current incarnation, which was only recently given the greenlight to restart filming in the UK following a corona-induced delay.
While The Batman's story will take place within its own self-contained universe – much like Joker – the potential establishment of the multiverse in The Flash means anything could happen in the DCEU post-2022. At this point DC and Warner Bros.' plans for the future are unclear but there are some things that remain certain. Here's what Michael Keaton's Batman return means for Robert Pattinson's movie.
Robert Pattinson's The Batman Is A Separate Story
The Batman tells its own, standalone story set in an original universe of director Matt Reeves' creation. That essentially means, regardless of what happens in 2022 when The Flash debuts, the Batman reboot will almost certainly be unaffected by the Keaton revelation. Reeves is said to be crafting a detective noir tale that will feature a Batman in the early stages of his career. With old-fashioned crime-solving and a distinctive lo-fi aesthetic, evidenced by official shots of Pattinson's Batsuit and Batmobile, taking center-stage this time around, the film is likely to feature a much more grounded take on the Dark Knight than Ben Affleck's version – meaning time travel and Batmen of olde will likely not be making an appearance.
It's clear Warner Bros. have allowed Reeves the chance to establish his own distinct version of Gotham City and its various characters. With Colin Farrell's The Penguin, Paul Dano's Riddler, and Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman set to appear alongside Wonder Woman also allows the director to double down on his more realistic depiction of the iconic hero. A time-travel plot that delivers the ageing Burton-era Bruce Wayne into Reeves' universe would be too much for The Batman to pack into its runtime, regardless of whether such a storyline fit into Reeves' more realistic universe.
The Batman Can Be Made DCEU Canon By The Flash Movie
With all that said, there are still big questions about how the potential return of Batman Returns.
With the creation of this new alternate reality, The Flash will reportedly also introduce audiences to the concept of the multiverse – a collection of different DC universes that exist within the same space but are completely separate. The multiverse has already been established in the Arrowverse, where the TV version of The Flash revealed numerous different 'earths', culminating in the Crisis on Infinite Earths event. That event has already confirmed that both Keaton's Batman universe and the DCEU are part of the same multiverse as the Arrowverse shows. What's more, it's been reported that Batgirl movie, suggesting his Bruce Wayne will become a familiar face throughout the expanding DCEU, and potentially the TV shows in-future.
With this in mind, it's not beyond conceivable that in the years to come some multi-dimensional plot development will actually bring the universe of The Batman into the wider DCEU fold. Of course, there has been no official word on any of this, and even Keaton's appearance remains unconfirmed for now. But there's huge potential for The Flash to begin bridging the divide between the wide-range of DC movies that have been put into production of late, including The Batman.
Why Michael Keaton's Batman Return Won't Affect Pattinson
If Keaton does show up in The Flash and does become a recurring character in the DCEU, his Bruce Wayne/Batman is unlikely to affect Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight. Keaton is rumored to be a mentor figure in the Flash movie, overseeing the exploits of existing heroes rather than once again donning the cape and cowl to become Warner Bros.' new front-line Batman. At this point, the studio has made clear Matt Reeves' movie establishes the primary Batman character for DC's movie future, despite Ben Affleck's version making a semi-return in the Justice League Snyder Cut. And while it would certainly be a thrill for fans to see the 68-year-old Keaton suit up for a Dark Knight Returns-style follow-up to his late-80s/early-90s bat-movies, it doesn't look like anything of the sort is planned for the moment.
For now, it seems Robert Pattinson is safe in his role, and will remain so if The Batman hits its October 2021 release date and proves to be successful. The actor has yet to confirm if he's signed up for multiple films, but it seems likely with studios keen to have the option of milking a successful franchise if they can. At this point, it seems Keaton and Pattinson will remain wholly separate, at least for the time being. Still, a young Pattinson Batman being guided by the wise words of Keaton's veteran Dark Knight is an exciting prospect.
