Batman Returns: Michael Keaton Is Back On The Big Screen As The Dark Knight

The mighty Michael Keaton hasn’t played Batman since Tim Burton’s gloriously gothic Batman Returns in 1992 – but it looks like that is going to change as the star is currently in talks to join Ezra Miller in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash! This DC Comics movie news is even more surprising than the news that Zack Snyder was finally going to complete his version of Justice League.  

Muschietti’s film will allegedly riff on the Flashpoint storyline from the comics, therefore offering the possibility of multiple timeframes and universes . This means that they’ll be able to weave Keaton’s Dark Knight into current continuity (and might it also open the door to George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer or Christian Bale cameos?). This is mind-boggling and tantalising in what opportunities it could offer. 

This return to Batman has echoes of 2014’s Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) where Keaton played an actor unhappy that his career was overshadowed by Birdman, the comic-book character he played in a trilogy of movies in 1980s and 1990s.

According to reports, Michael Keaton‘s role will be similar to that of Samuel Jackson’s Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, offering-up a mentor role over multiple films. It’s believed that Matt Reeves’ The Batman with Robert Pattinson will not be connected to this – but hey, you never know. 

The Flash is gearing-up to shoot in Spring 2021 – keep reading for Movies In Focus for more of this as it develops.