The Batman delivered another cinematic hit for the DC superhero, albeit a much different version to any previously seen on screen. Robert Pattinson is the sixth actor to portray the Dark Knight on the big screen since Michael Keaton donned the cape and cowl back in 1989, and he will be one of three different Batmen to be seen within a year, as both Keaton and Ben Affleck will be appearing in The Flash. For The Batman star Paul Dano that is perfectly fine, as every Batman is a reinterpretation for different times. While speaking in a video for GQ, Dano explained why he doesn’t see multiple Batman movies with different continuities as an issue.

“By Matt having such a specific point of view and a new one, it gave me a lot of freedom, you know, like this is this Riddler, I'm not gonna worry about the other ones or the comics. I tried to take all the archetypal energy I could from the comics, and I read a ton of them, and I'm writing a comic now about the Riddler, and I was shocked by how much I loved putting out the film and engaging with that fan base, being, again, a fan myself, and how much fervor there is around The Batman.

I also think that, like, that's why - why would we keep making these, right? It’s to reinterpret. And it’s to reinterpret for the times as well, to keep investigating a character in a world. So, I think for people like Matt and Tim Burton and Chris Nolan, and then whoever’s gonna carry it next, I think it’s gotta be an artist with a point of view who’s taking that character and that city for the time that we’re in.”

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How Will The Flash Deal With Multiple Batmen?

Michael Keaton's Batman and Ezra Miller's The Flash in concept art
Warner Bros. Pictures

Although there have been many snippets and rumors about The Flash, what exactly will happen in the movie is still being kept under wraps, especially when it comes to how the film will deal with the inclusion of both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as their respective Batmen. While it was originally thought that Ben Affleck’s Batman would be killed off in the movie, with Keaton being brought in to replace him for an undisclosed length of time.

However, those rumors were last heard when Batgirl was still alive at Warner Bros. Discovery, and Michael Keaton’s Batman was expected to make an appearance in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The cancelation of Batgirl instantly removed one big Keaton appearance in the DCEU continuity, and his cameo role in the Aquaman sequel has been replaced with Ben Affleck. With new rumors also adding a possible Superman cameo to The Flash, it seems that the handling of Batman in the DCEU going forward may have changed in recent months.

Although much of the upheaval that came with the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery is now done, there is clearly still no clear route for the DCEU. With Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson having recently suggested that all of DC movies out there, including The Batman, are all part of the same DC universe in some way, it seems that anything is possible.