How Keaton's Batman Can Actually Damage 'The Flash'
Fan excitement for Andy Muschietti’s The Flash movie is peaking due in part to the recent release of its teaser trailer. While it has been a pleasant change to see another movie focusing on one of the other well-known heroes from the DC Universe, it may be shooting itself in the foot and falling into a bit of a trap. This comes in the shape of the supporting character in the movie, Batman, more specifically, Michael Keaton’s triumphant return as the caped crusader. The production has received its fair share of attention since it was announced, but it is safe to say the attention has shifted somewhat from Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen to Michael Keaton’s Batman/Bruce Wayne.
Once again, plot details have been kept well under wraps, but we do know the movie is taking inspiration from one of The Flash’s most famous storylines, Flashpoint, which sees Barry Allen traveling through time and altering history. This helps explain how Keaton’s Batman will reappear in the same format he did from the Burton era movies. It will also include the return of Ben Affleck’s Batman, which is making it feel more like a Batman movie than a Flash one. Herein lies the potential issue.
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Affleck returning as Batman is still a big deal following his departure after the widely panned Justice League, returning to the role only to shoot some extra scenes for the “Snyder Cut.” However, it has not been that long since he donned the cowl. For Keaton, it has been almost two decades since he protected the streets of Gotham. For many fans, he remains the ultimate Batman. Keaton first played the role in 1989’s Batman opposite Jack Nicholson’s Joker, and again in 1992’s Batman Returns opposite Danny De Vito’s Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, and Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck. Both films were directed by Tim Burton and are often hailed as the true start to the superhero genre. So when it was announced that Keaton was returning to the role, many fans lost their mind, myself included.
The Flash has never been a particularly favorite character of mine, but I will absolutely be going to see the new movie purely to see Keaton return as Batman. Having spoken with many friends, they too have the same opinion. This proves that his involvement could end up damaging the movie and the point of it.
It is fair to say DC has not had the best of times of late. Many of its films focusing on characters we know and love have not been performing anywhere near as well as they probably should have. The new Flash movie is likely to perform much better, but potentially for the wrong reasons. This makes the possibility of any continuation of the storyline in the form of a sequel more difficult. As much as myself and many fans would love to see Keaton continuing his most famous role, we have to be realistic. At his age, it is very unlikely he will be playing the part for a long period of time. It is likely that this will be a one-and-done situation. If the plot and other aspects of the movie fall short, the success of the movie will depend on the nostalgia aspect from Keaton and Affleck, making this truly a Batman movie instead of a Flash movie.
Hopefully, I am wrong, and the movie itself is good, allowing for a natural sequel without the need for Keaton and/or Affleck. Only time will tell. Until then, you can check out the teaser trailer below for yourself.
What do you think? Do you agree Keaton and Affleck’s inclusion may overshadow the rest of the movie? Or do you think it will stand on its own? Be Sure to let us know.
Until next time!
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