Is Michael Keaton’s time as Batman truly over? The actor revealed if his character has a future in the DC Universe after The Flash bombed.
The Flash was one of the biggest superhero flops of all time, both in the eyes of fans and at the box office. For a film meant to serve as a celebration of both the Scarlet Speedster and the DC Universe as a whole, most of its runtime seemed focused on poorly aged cameos and Michael Keaton’s return as Batman.
However, despite The Flash seeming like a true send-off for his incarnation of the Caped Crusader, Michael Keaton may not be done with the DC Universe quite yet. During a recent interview, the actor was asked if his time as Batman was truly over, to which Keaton responded that a return is always in the cards if the right circumstances align.
“I don’t think about it much…never say never.” Keaton told the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I don’t think – everything’s dependent upon something else, I guess.”
Given how badly The Flash bombed at the box office, it’s likely executives aren’t jumping to remind fans of that corner of the DC Universe anytime soon. However, Michael Keaton may have proved an exception to the rule, with his appearance in the film causing sales of Batman toys to soar despite other related products floundering, so perhaps there is some hope in his return after all.
Michael Keaton’s Cancelled DC Universe Future
It was clear the studio was setting up big things for Michael Keaton’s Batman prior to The Flash flopping. While a lot of the previous plans involving his version of the Dark Knight have been scrapped in favor of James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot, it’s possible some of the projects could be resurrected down the line if circumstances present themselves.
Michael Keaton was originally set to continue playing his Batman role in a Batman Beyond movie, though The Flash‘s commercial failure ultimately killed the film. This would have been a live-action film, distinguishing it from two other Batman Beyond films that were canceled by DC Studios. One was written by the writer of Fast 9, while the other was pitched by a Spider-Verse designer, but both were ultimately never picked up.
Michael Keaton was also set to return in the infamously canceled Batgirl. There, he would serve as a mentor for Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon, ushering in yet another new hero for the DC Universe. While this project is nearly finished and could one day see the light of day, it’s not likely Warner Bros. will reverse its decision to scrap the project for tax purposes.