SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away multiple key moments from The Flash featuring Michael Keaton’s Batman, so if you have not yet seen the movie and would rather experience all the fun Easter Eggs for yourself, act like a speedster traveling through time and proceed with caution.
Allow me to be perfectly honest with my fellow fans of comic books and great superhero movies: the only reason I was even remotely interested in seeing The Flash — the newest DC movie, which is now in theaters — is because it also counts as the newest Batman movie. Furthermore, one of my favorite actors to wear the cape and cowl is Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton, and being able to see him reprise his highly-influential, multi-layered portrayal from 1989’s Batman and Batman Returns from 1992 is an absolute dream come true.
Also, those aforementioned Tim Burton movies are among my fondest childhood memories and some of the best Batman movies ever, in my opinion. So, to see director Andy Muschietti’s DC Multiverse-spanning adventure pay tribute to them in more ways than casting their star in the iconic role for the first time in more than 30 years really managed to win me over and kept me giddy and fully absorbed in the action from beginning to end. The following are seven of The Flash’s fun callbacks to Keaton’s Batman movies that helped convince me that it is one of the best new superhero movies of the year so far.
Danny Elfman’s Unmistakable Theme
I once made a list ranking Batman’s theme music from each of his theatrically-released, feature-length adventures so far and my personal choice for the Number One spot was shared by the score for Batman and Batman Returns — both of which were conducted by Burton’s longtime, frequent collaborator, Danny Elfman. We had recently heard the score re-used for a few of Ben Affleck’s scenes in the 2017 cut of Justice League — which is, honestly, one of my favorite aspects of a film I do not have much love for otherwise. However, hearing those notes again as Barry Allen and his younger, alternate self (both played by Ezra Miller) break into Keaton’s Batcave made a world of difference, effortlessly giving me nostalgic chills.
A Glimpse At Keaton’s Batmobile
I also once made a list ranking all the live-action, cinematic Batmobiles so far and my personal choice for the Number One spot was Michael Keaton’s sleek, imposing ride. Needless to say, even though it was pretty inevitable that it was going to make an appearance in The Flash, the moment when Younger Barry pulls back a sheet to unveil it in all its glory was still nothing short of amazing, considering what an important and expert designed heirloom of the live-action Batman movies it is. A part of me wishes we could have seen the car in use at some point, but The Flash makes up for it pretty effectively by bringing out another iconic vehicle that I will get to soon.
Joker's Laughing Bag
Burton’s first Batman movie also features one of the most brilliant depictions of The Joker, as portrayed with a wacky, yet chilling, enthusiasm by Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson. Appropriately, The Flash gives a nod to Keaton’s own version of the Dark Knight’s greatest foe by incorporating one of his own “wonderful toys.” While rummaging through the Batcave, Younger Barry stumbles upon a bag the plays a looped recording of unsettling laughter — the same one that was found on the Joker’s body after Batman broke his no-killing rule to finally get rid of him in the 1989 film.
'I'm Batman'
Out of the many great Batman movie quotes from over the years, there has just never been anything better than simply hearing him introduce himself and no actor (in a live-action adaptation, at least) has ever done that with such resounding vigor as Keaton. He reminds us of that in The Flash when he dons his new costume design to tell the Barry’s that he is, indeed, Batman. In retrospect, his superhero identity was already pretty clear by that point, but that did not make hearing any less exciting.
'You Wanna Get Nuts?
On the flip side, a Batman quote that I would not say I particularly “love” — feeling that it, essentially, comes out of nowhere and without much purpose — comes from the 1989 film when Keaton’s Bruce Wayne threatens Joker with a fire poker and says, “You wanna get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts.” However, I certainly cannot deny that hearing him repeat it in The Flash — an Easter Egg our own Erik Swann had previously hoped for — as a way of revealing that he has agreed to join Barry, Barry, and Kara Zor-El, a.k.a., Supergirl (Sasha Calle), in the fight against General Zod (Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon, reprising his ruthless Man of Steel role) was a brilliant way of bringing it back and left a big, Joker-sized smile on my face.
The Batwing's Moon Silhouette
Another iconic piece of Burton Batman nostalgia that Erik Swann expressed interest in seeing in The Flash was the return of the Dark Knight’s other most awesome mode of transportation: the Batwing. Not only did he get his wish — complete with the introduction of some previously unseen features, like its rotating cockpit — but it also leant to my personal favorite Easter Egg (and moment in the general) in the film. As Bruce and Barry’s are descending onto the Russia prison where they believe Superman is being held, you can see in the background that the Batwing is stopped in front of the moon, resembling the vigilante’s logo — much like an unforgettable scene from the 1989 film and one of the Keaton’s best Batman moments on record.
'How Much Do You Weigh?'
One of the funnier Batman movie moments from the Keaton era involves Bats asking photojournalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) how much she weighs before using his grappling gun to bring her to safety, only to later mention that she might have been off a few pounds. I wonder how many other BatFans caught the surprise tribute to this scene when Bruce, as he and the Barry’s are improvising an escape from a Russian prison, asks Barry to estimate what the four characters’ combined weight must be. Barry turns out to be a few pounds off and, after some more tinkering, Bruce’s gadget manages to elevate them up and out of the compound.
For as much as I appreciate Muschietti and co. for not going overboard on the Easter Eggs, I feel like there was plenty room for some more. I mean, why not a few more specific callbacks to Batman Returns — such as a mention of his relationship with Michelle Pfeiffer as one of the best Catwoman depictions (something we, reportedly, would have seen in the Batgirl movie before it was cancelled) or perhaps, a subtle nod to one of the best Penguin portrayals, as played by Danny DeVito? At least we can say that we saw another superhero blockbuster starring Keaton as Batman, and that alone was more than enough to satisfy me and, I'm sure, BatFans all over the world.
