The Big PictureMichael Keaton's return as Batman in The Flash is not just a nostalgic cameo, but an integral part of the story and fight against Zod. The Flash is the first live-action film to feature three different Bruce Waynes, including a surprise appearance by George Clooney.
Of course, Ben Affleck has been the Dark Knight in the current DC cinematic universe since 2016, and he does appear early on in The Flash for an action scene and to deliver some words of advice.
Arguably the biggest surprise came in the movie's final seconds. In an ending that was only added in the week prior to release, meaning that many super-fans and press who saw earlier secret screenings actually missed it, George Clooney turns up as Bruce Wayne, reprising his role from 1997's Batman & Robin.
The reason why Pattinson was not featured in The Flash, and may not appear in future DCU films, is that he is not currently connected to any official superhero universes... yet. The Batman was intended to be a DCEU project before Ben Affleck confirmed his exit as both the main actor and director by 2019.
Once that movie was canceled by DC parent company Warner Bros. Discovery due to financial reasons, Keaton's Batman future got put in doubt, and after the announcement that the DCEU would be rebooted with James Gunn's new DC Universe, The Flash's ending was reshot, and Keaton's Bruce Wayne was then replaced by Clooney.
But The Flash also features four versions of Batman: Ben Affleck's, Michael Keaton's, George Clooney's, and a fleeting cameo by Adam West's. Batman is a central part of any DC universe, whether printed, animated, or live-action, so it's no wonder that he makes so many simultaneous appearances across all media.
Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, and George Clooney's versions of Batman get spotlighted in new BTS photos from The Flash movie. 2023 is marking the end of the DCEU, and it has not been an easy year for the decade-old franchise.
Without question, one of the most thrilling aspects of DC's “The Flash” is the reappearance of Michael Keaton as Batman after a 31-year hiatus from the role, something that was as exciting for the film's director as it is for the audience.
When Barry calls Bruce at the end of the movie, the Bruce Wayne that shows up is George Clooney's version of the character from the infamous Batman & Robin.
Now that The Flash movie is populated by not one but two formerly retired Batman actors, the film has taken on an almost “Into the Spider-Verse with The Caped Crusader”-quality in how central the Multiverse is to its story. With Affleck and Keaton back, The Flash can now pull in any other Batman actors it wants.
Michael Keaton's Batman Will Be Around 64-Years-Old In The Flash Movie. During the events of The Flash, Michael Keaton's Batman will be around 64 years old.
Nicolas Cage is opening up about his cameo in The Flash where he was featured donning the costume of Superman. As you may remember, Cage tested as the Man of Steel for what would've been a Tim Burton-directed feature that was ultimately scrapped.
In the video, Muschietti reveals that Keaton's Batman retired after accidentally killing a criminal in front of their child. This was supposed to mirror the way Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered in an alley in front of him. The same thing that created Batman was also what made him quit.
Early in The Flash, Barry Allen teams up with Ben Affleck's Batman, a gruffer, bulkier version of the character who has inhabited the movies since 2016.
That happens once Batman (Ben Affleck) needs backup to capture criminals stealing a deadly virus from a Gotham City hospital. Besides Affleck's Batman, the opening scene of The Flash also features Jeremy Irons' Alfred, who works as the man in the chair for Bruce Wayne, connecting him to other Justice League members.
Robert Pattinson is set to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader, and writer and director Matt Reeves will also be back to helm the movie and its trilogy and spin-offs - despite the other plans on the way from James Gunn.
After Barry sacrificed himself to save the multiverse in the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, Wally West donned the Flash suit from the years 1986-2009 before Barry was reintroduced as Flash in the Final Crisis storyline. Currently, both Wally and Barry coexist as the Flash.
For all the faults of this year's The Flash movie, it did allow viewers to finally see Nicolas Cage as Superman — the iconic superhero role he was originally supposed to play in a '90s film that never got off the ground.
However, it's evident that these controversies affected the film's performance, as 73% of moviegoers were adult males, much higher than average, meaning that women and children refused to see the movie, most likely due to the lead actor Ezra Miller, leading to lower overall sales.
Speaking to THR, Affleck revealed that he doesn't play as big of a role in the upcoming film as fans may expect. "Yeah, I did finally figure out how to play that character [Batman], and I nailed it in The Flash. For the five minutes I'm there, it's really great," Affleck said. "A lot of it's just tone.
Henry Cavill's Superman cameo was cut from The Flash and replaced with a new ending because of the complications that otherwise would have been set up for the new DC Universe, as The Flash ending served as a soft reboot of the superhero movie universe.
Pattinson's Batman could have appeared in The Flash due to Barry's ability to explore the multiverse through his connection to the Speed Force. However, DC Studios has determined to keep certain projects such as The Batman and its upcoming sequels separate from the greater interconnected DCU.
Barry stammers for a moment and finally gets out, “You're not Batman.” This unrecognizable new Bruce looks at Barry like he's got two heads: “What's wrong with you?” Barry tries to smile and his front tooth pops out (a gag from earlier in the movie where he lost it and super-glued it back) as the credits start to roll.
Thus far, at least five different characters—each of whom somehow gained the power of "the Speed Force"—have assumed the mantle of the Flash in DC's history: college athlete Jay Garrick (1940–1951, 1961–2011, 2017–present), forensic scientist Barry Allen (1956–1985, 2008–present), Barry's nephew Wally West (1986–2011, ...
Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman: A wealthy socialite from Gotham City who moonlights as a crimefighting vigilante. This version of Wayne is a variation of the DCEU character portrayed by Ben Affleck, as a result of Barry's tampering with the timeline.
