Ben Affleck was given a last chance to suit up as Batman in The Flash, the upcoming superhero movie in the works at Warner Bros. Set in the DCEU, the film looks to be rivaling Spider-Man: No Way Home with the focus on including characters from alternate movie universes. There has been some heavy promotion for the film highlighting the return of Michael Keaton as the version of Bruce Wayne he played in Batman and Batman Returns.
Keaton's Batman isn't native to the DCEU, which is where Affleck's Batman calls home. It's not clear if the two Batmen will meet in the movie, but it's also been confirmed that both different versions will appear. The Keaton version will be moving on in the DCEU by stepping into other projects beyond The Flash, having already lined up an appearance in HBO Max's Batgirl movie. In a new interview, Affleck notes how his final Batman appearance in The Flash has turned out to be the favorite scenes he has shot for the character.
"I have never said this — this is hot off the presses — but maybe my favorite scenes in terms of Batman and the interpretation of Batman that I have done, were in the Flash movie," Affleck told The Herald Sun. "I hope they maintain the integrity of what we did because I thought it was great and really interesting — different, but not in a way that is incongruent with the character. Who knows? Maybe they will decide that it doesn't work, but when I went and did it, it was really fun and really, really satisfying and encouraging and I thought, 'Wow — I think I have finally figured it out.'"
Multiple Batmen Will Appear in The Flash
As for Michael Keaton, the actor has also opened up on what it was that convinced him to head back into the Batsuit three decades later to give Batman another go. According to Keaton, he's always had the Batman role in the back of his mind after wrapping up with two movies, always feeling like he could nail the role again if given a shot. He couldn't resist the opportunity when it came along with the offer to return as Batman in The Flash.
"Frankly, in the back of my head, I always thought, 'I bet I could go back and nail that motherf**ker.' And so I thought, 'Well, now that they're asking me, let me see if I can pull that off,'" Keaton previously told THR.
Andy Muschietti directs The Flash using a screenplay by Christina Hodson. The film stars Ezra Miller, Ron Livingston, Kiersey Clemons, and Sasha Calle. There are also rumors of Michael Shannon and Antje Traue joining the cast as Zod and Faora-UI, respectively. Chances are there will be some big surprises in store for fans as well. Will it be enough to match the excitement conjured up by Spider-Man: No Way Home's big returns?
The Flash will be released in theaters on Nov. 4, 2022.