Michael Keaton might be 68 years old, but he isn’t ruling out a return to Gotham. Keaton last played Batman in Tim Burton’s back-to-back Batman films at the turn of the 1990s.
Keaton is reportedly in talks with DC Films to reprise the role in The Flash, which centres on the titular character portrayed by Ezra Miller. Miller first appeared as The Flash in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Miller’s role was only slight, but the character took on greater importance in the 2017 follow-up, Justice League.
The Flash, aka Barry Allen, has been a DC Comics character since the 1950s. The character’s renewed significance for DC producers was apparent when Miller’s character was recruited by Batman and Wonder Woman (played by Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, respectively) to help save the world from Steppenwolf’s army in Justice League.
The Flash is currently scheduled for a mid-2022 release, by which time Keaton would be 70 years old. The Wrap broke the story, adding the disclaimer that it’s “far from a sure thing,” as talks with Keaton are still in the early stages.
Keaton played the title role in Burton’s Batman (1989) opposite Jack Nicholson as The Joker. He got back in the suit for 1992’s Batman Returns, where he came up against Danny DeVito’s The Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. The films have gained iconic status over the years, largely thanks to Burton’s crooked approach to art and set production design.
Along with Burton’s trademark directorial touch, the films are remembered for their music. Danny Elfman composed an original score for both films, while Batman also came with a soundtrack of new material from Prince. Prince was absent from Batman Returns, but the film did give rise to the song ‘Face to Face’ by UK post-punk outfit Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Check out Batman (1989) official trailer:
