Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Batman Returns, Michael Keaton’s second and final outing as DC Comics’ Dark Knight. Or at least, it was his final one until he was brought aboard to reprise Bruce Wayne in The Flash. While it would have been easy enough to for Keaton’s Bruce to appear in the Scarlet Speedster’s movie strictly in civilian form, rest assured, we will see him suiting back up as Batman too. And despite three decades having passed since Keaton last put on the Batsuit, it turns out it still fit nicely on him.
Michael Keaton briefly talked about his return to Batman while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Along with confirming he’s finished shooting The Flash, he also told Colbert that the Batsuit didn’t need to be “let out,” saying:
I already did, yeah. Svelte as ever.
The actor added that it was “great” to wear Batman’s costume again, though Michael Keaton also admitted this past August that it felt “shockingly normal.” It’s unclear if the “regular” Batsuit Keaton’s wearing in The Flash will look just like the one he wore in Batman Returns, or if some aesthetic changes were made to mark the passage of time. If it’s the former, I imagine a brand-new version of that suit was constructed specifically for The Flash, rather than the old one simply being dug out of storage for reuse.
It is worth noting, though, that Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne may put on more than one Batsuit in The Flash. Back in June, director Andy Muschietti shared a picture of the Batman Returns logo that was partially covered in blood and looked to be part of an armored suit rather than a traditional Batsuit. So much like Ben Affleck’s Batman did when fighting Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it looks like Keaton’s Bruce Wayne will put on a little extra protection for a specific conflict. It’s also worth noting that last month, Muschietti shared a picture of what looked to be the same Bat-armor, only this time it was spray painted to resemble Flash’s costume.
Loosely inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, The Flash will see Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen journeying through the multiverse as a consequence of going back in time to try and prevent his mother’s murder. Along with meeting Michael Keaton’s Batman on Earth-89, Barry Allen will also spend more time with Ben Affleck’s Batman within the main DCEU reality. The Fastest Man Alive will also cross paths with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, although it hasn’t been revealed yet which Earth she hails from. The movie’s cast also includes Kiersey Clemons reprising Iris West, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen and Ron Livingston taking over the role of Henry Allen from Billy Crudup.
The Flash races into theaters on November 4, 2022, but if you’re looking for new cinematic Batman action to enjoy before that, the Robert Pattinson-led The Batman arrives on March 4 of the same year. Our DC Comics movies guide is available to those of you curious what else is coming from this corner of the superhero movie market.
