Michael Keatondidn’t join the upcomingThe Flashmovie for fame or fortune, his reason was a lot more nuanced than that; he wanted to see how people would react to him coming back as Batman after 30 years. Speaking withVarietyabout the upcoming DC movie, Keaton discussed how superhero movies became a cultural phenomenon, making him curious about what it would mean to become Bruce Wayne again.
Keaton put on the cape and cowl forTim Burton’s 1989Batmanand 1992Batman Returns, abandoning the role whenJoel Schumacherreplaced the director for the third movie in the franchise. While Keaton wasn’t Bruce Wayne for too long, he helped introduce the Dark Knight to a new generation and is remembered dearly as many people’s favorite Batman. So, once DC announced it would adapt the famousFlashpointstoryline, with Keaton reprising his role, fans became immediately excited about the project.
Apparently, that’s the reaction Keaton wanted to observe, since he joined the movie out of curiosity. In Keaton’s words:
“I was curious what it would be like after this many years. Not so much me doing it — obviously, some of that — but I was just curious about it, weirdly, socially. This whole thing is gigantic. They have their entirely own world. So, I like to look at it as an outsider, thinking, ‘Holy moly!’”
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The Flashis indeed promising to be a curious experiment, asEzra Millertravels different timelines as the titular hero and accidentally changes the whole universe. The movie will also bring backBen Affleckas Batman and introduced starSasha Calleas Supergirl, and we are all wondering how everything will fit together. Fortunately, it wasn’t only curiosity that convinced Keaton to re-enter the DC universe, asThe Flashis an enticing story on its own. As Keaton puts it, “The writing was actually really good. So I thought, why not? It’s cool to drop in and I’m curious to see if I can pull it off.”
Besides showing up inThe Flash,Keaton will also play the Dark Knight inBatgirl, the first live-action film starring the beloved heroine. The movie starsLeslie Gracein the titular role, withDoom Patrol’sBrendan Fraserplaying the film’s main antagonist, the pyromaniac Batman villain Firefly.
The Flashcast also includesKiersey Clemonsas Iris West,Maribel Verdúas Nora Allen, andRon Livingstonas Henry Allen, replacingBilly Crudupas Barry’s father after his appearance inJustice League. Social media starRudy MancusoandSaoirse-Monica Jacksonare also involved in the project on undisclosed roles.
The Flashis currently scheduled to come to theaters on August 22, 2025. Check our interview with Keaton about his role inThe Flash:
