Batman star Michael Keaton has reacted to the sudden cancelation of Batgirl, with the actor assuming it must have been the result of “a business decision.” Speaking with Variety at the recent Emmy Awards, during which Keaton was awarded his first Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor for his role in Dopesick, Keaton revealed that, while he does not know why Batgirl was canceled, he has made some assumptions.

“I think it was a business decision. I’m going to assume it was a good one. I really don’t know.”

Keaton was then asked when he might next play Batman, with the actor replying with his usual wry smile, saying, “A little later tonight, probably, if you’re lucky enough.” The actor then added, “We’ll see. It was great. It was fun. I really have no idea.”

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl, alongside J. K. Simmons, Jacob Scipio, Brendan Fraser, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, Ethan Kai, and Michael Keaton, Batgirl was unceremoniously canceled last month. While details behind the decision have been somewhat vague, it seems that Batgirl, which was due for release on HBO Max, ultimately went against the new mandate from CEO David Zaslav to make DC movies "big theatrical event films."

Michael Keaton is not the only Batgirl star to comment on the movie’s cancelation, with Brendan Fraser recently communicating his disappointment. "The fans really wanted to see this film made. I was there. Leslie Grace is a dynamo. She just goes for it,” the actor, who would have played the villain Firefly, said. “She looks great in the outfit. The movie itself was shot and conceived for a smaller screen, in this age it would have come out of now between streaming service vs. theatrical release. It wound up being the canary in the coal mine. So, what did we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers. Like Darren."

Michael Keaton Will Make His Batman Return in The Flash

While it seems unlikely now that we will ever see Michael Keaton suit up again as Batman in Batgirl, the actor is still due to return to the role of The Dark Knight in The Flash. Keaton is expected to play a major role in the long-gestating The Flash movie, which will star Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, AKA The Flash. The story will take inspiration from the comic book arc, Flashpoint, and finds Barry attempting to prevent his mother’s murder by traveling back in time. Of course, as so often happens with these things, Barry manages to make things even worse, emerging in an alternate reality. The Flash has reportedly been "extraordinarily well-received" in test screenings, even garnering comparisons with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.

Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and starring Ron Livingston, Michael Keaton, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Sasha Calle, and Ben Affleck alongside Ezra Miller, The Flash is scheduled to be released on June 23, 2023, following many, many delays.