Summary Warner Bros. failed to do justice to Michael Keaton’s iconic Batman character despite his highly anticipated return in “The Flash.”
Keaton’s Batman role helped establish the dark and realistic portrayal of the character, becoming a reference point for the genre as a whole.
While there were plans for Keaton’s Batman to appear in other DCEU projects, including “Batgirl” and “Aquaman 2,” they were ultimately scrapped due to franchise shakeups and cancellations.
Warner Bros. spent hundreds of millions of dollars insulting the legacy of Michael Keaton’s Batman across The Flash, Batgirl, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Although the DCEU ran into countless obstacles during its 10-year run, it achieved several admirable feats such as a large cast of talented actors, the rise in popularity of lesser known or oft-maligned characters like Peacemaker and Aquaman, and the positive reception of movies like Wonder Woman and Shazam!. Moreover, the DCEU pulled off another huge achievement before its inevitable reboot in the form of Michael Keaton’s Batman return.
More than three decades after his DC debut, Michael Keaton finally reprised his iconic Batman role in The Flash. Even before the movie hit theaters, Warner Bros. was already working on multiple projects that featured Keaton’s Batman. With more than five live-action Batman actors in between performances, Keaton could have broken a record, having played the first big-screen Dark Knight and the latest one and possibly surpassing Ben Affleck’s DCEU appearance record in the near future. Unfortunately, not only was Michael Keaton’s return cut short, but it also failed to live up to his legacy.
Michael Keaton’s Batman Return Deserved Something Special After 31 Years Of Waiting
Following the work of comic book artists and writers like Neal Adams and Frank Miller, Michael Keaton finished cementing Batman as a dark and realistic superhero in live-action, as opposed to Adam West’s lighthearted portrayal in the 1960s Batman TV show. Along with Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Michael Keaton’s Batman also helped pioneer what would later become the golden age of superheroes on the big screen. Keaton only returned for 1991’s Batman Returns, but he remained a reference point for both the character and the genre as a whole throughout the years.
The return of such an iconic figure warrants a solid script and a well-thought-out journey for the character, or at least an appropriate farewell. But while Michael Keaton’s Batman is a highlight of The Flash, he doesn’t have enough room to develop as a character. Keaton’s Batman provides the resources that allows both Barry Allens to save Supergirl, fight Zod, and travel back in time, but other than a couple of exciting fight scenes and a brief realization that he still retains his heroic spirit, Batman only works as a plot device in The Flash before getting left to die in a different universe alongside Supergirl.
Related: The Flash’s Hidden Michael Keaton Batman Backstory Makes His Ending Even Sadder
DC’s Michael Keaton Batman Plans Could Have Been Great
As revealed by behind-the-scenes footage featuring Michael Keaton in the same set as The Flash’s final scene, Keaton’s Batman was set to appear as the definitive DCEU Batman during The Flash’s ending, replacing Ben Affleck’s version of the character. Keaton also completed his scenes in Batgirl, where he played a supporting role as a mentor to Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon. At some point, Keaton’s Batman was set to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And according to director Kevin Smith, Michael Keaton could have eventually returned for a Batman Beyond movie, where he would have likely mentored the titular Batman, Terry McGinnis.
Michael Keaton’s multiple appearances as Batman not only would have softened the blow of losing Ben Affleck’s Batman, but they would have also opened the gates for many innovative stories centered on the Dark Knight that have little chance to happen without Keaton. Audiences would have seen Batman’s first steps as a hero in 1989’s Batman and 1991’s Batman Returns, as well as his twilight years in future DCEU movies, where an older Bruce Wayne would have raised a new generation of DC heroes. In a way, Michael Keaton could have opened and closed an entire era of Batman history.
What Went Wrong With Michael Keaton’s Batman Return (From Batgirl To The Flash & Aquaman 2)
Unfortunately, Michael Keaton got caught in the DCEU’s chaotic shakeups and the franchise’s early conclusion. First, The Flash was riddled with logistical issues, delays, and script changes, not to mention Ezra Miller’s controversial behavior, which ended up affecting The Flash’s reception. Keaton’s performance as Batman was clouded by The Flash’s poor CGI and VFX, as well as its problematic cameos and messy script. To top it off, news about the DCEU’s impending reboot lowered interest in The Flash, and George Clooney’s joke cameo as Batman proved to be a rather confusing conclusion to the story.
Meanwhile, poor test screenings and a string of cancelations at Warner Bros. Discovery resulted in Batgirl getting shelved despite being almost fully completed. Without Batman’s supporting role in Batgirl and with Keaton’s absence in The Flash’s ending, there was no longer any reason for Keaton’s Batman to return in the DCEU, especially considering that the franchise would be rebooted soon. Therefore, Keaton’s Batman scenes in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were also scrapped, and the Aquaman sequel no longer features any version of Batman in it. As for Batman Beyond, it became clear that the project was no longer a possibility as soon as Batgirl was canceled.
Related: Everything We Lost With The Batgirl Cancellation
Will Michael Keaton’s Batman Ever Return Again?
Since the DC Universe will try to avoid the DCEU’s mistakes, its new Batman will likely be the only active version of the character in that franchise since his introduction in The Brave and the Bold. In fact, the DC Universe will also encompass animation and gaming, so The Brave and the Bold’s Batman actor will likely reprise his role in other media as well. Of course, Robert Pattinson will also star in the sequels to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which are set in their own Elseworlds universe. But beyond those two versions, Batman is unlikely to be played by any other actor, new or old.
Nevertheless, the possibility of Michael Keaton’s Batman return isn’t completely off the table. When the new DC Universe is developed enough to justify a franchise-wide event like Crisis on Infinite Worlds, iconic DC actors like Michael Keaton, Henry Cavill, and Ben Affleck could reprise their roles once again. Just like Keaton’s Batman return would have seemed impossible just a few years before The Flash, the current circumstances could be making a similar scenario seem more unlikely than it actually is at this point. Still, it’s too early to predict any surprise of that caliber, so Michael Keaton’s Batman appearance in The Flash will remain his last for the time being.