The world’s in a weird place, the movie world is an odd place at the moment, but things are going to get a little more nuts. It’s been reported in multiple sites that Michael Keaton could be returning as Batman.
First broke by The Wrap and followed up by Deadline, states, while only in early talks and the chances of it falling through are still high, Keaton could be reprising the role of the Dark Knight 28 years after donning the cape and cowl in 1992’s Batman Returns.
This news blew up Twitter because it’s living legend and OG Batman, Michael fucking Keaton, but it’s the possibility of rightly bringing back for multiple movies to play a Nick Fury mentor role starting with Ezra Miller’s The Flash.
The US trade reports it would then move onto DC projects like Batgirl and will pick up his storyline after Batman Returns.
What’s nice to know is this doesn’t affect anything Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson are doing with The Batman as it’s not set within the DCEU.
Obviously, at 68, Keaton won’t be crime-fighting. Still, it could be the step towards a lifelong fan dream of seeing the Oscar-nominated actor as an older Bruce Wayne ushering the live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond.
Especially with the design of those Burton movies, we could easily see the progression to the neon, cyberpunk Gotham from the animated series come to life in The Flash movie and beyond.
Tim Burton’s Gotham City 
Batman Beyond Gotham City
What also helps, if this happens, is the Oscar-winning, critical success of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse as a sign of audience interest in other incarnations of a character, especially if you have the original around to guide the new superhero.
The question I have in my head is what happened with Keaton’s Bruce post-1992 as the CW tried everything to bring the actor in for a cameo for their Crisis On Infinite Earths mega event. There’s a BTS picture of the Gotham City Gazette announcing the news of Wayne marrying Selina Kyle.
I hope they keep that so we can see Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer as an older married couple and have a kid, who would be at least 25-years-old donning the Nightwing alter-ego.
However, that’s just me being an excited fan.
It’s all down to if Keaton wants to return and his current deal with Marvel playing Adrian Toomes in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and the upcoming Morbius movie.
I suspect we’ll know much more both The Flash when we head into DC FanDome with director Andres Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson appear talking about the Scarlet Speedster.
The Bear Cave 