Caped Crusader fans, rejoice! Michael Keaton is officially returning to his role as Batman.
However, CBR confirms that Keaton’s return will only be as an appearance in the upcoming “The Flash” film, not a starring role in its own standalone feature.
Nonetheless, many are excited at the prospect of the actor once again taking down Gotham’s seedier characters.
Keaton first appeared as the jaded millionaire-turned-masked-crimefighter in Tim Burton’s 1989 film adaption, “Batman.” The film garnered great critical acclaim, with Keaton’s depiction of Bruce Wayne sparking a renewed interest in the beloved comic book character across generations.
Rumors of Keaton’s potential return as Batman first surfaced over the summer, hinting at DC’s plans to launch its own multiverse across its film franchises (a DC multiverse has already been successfully implemented throughout its TV series such as “Arrow’s” “Crisis on Infinite Earth”).
Screen Rant reports that while little is still known about the actual workings of the DC multiverse within the plots of its extended film universe, fan speculation remains boundless. After all, there are six DC films scheduled to be released from 2021 to 2023, leaving plenty of opportunities for various characters to collide.
One thing that is absolutely confirmed, however, is that “The Batman”—which features Robert Pattinson as the titular character along with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman—is a completely standalone feature. This means that Pattinson’s Batman lays outside the realm of the DC multiverse, and therefore will not be seen alongside Keaton any time soon.
Further information on any of the upcoming DC film franchises is pending.