Michael Keaton in talks to return as Batman

[The Dark Knight]

I assume that if he comes back, he won't wear the suit. So it raises the question of if he'll be the sort of scatterbrained Bruce or if he'll play the part like he's Batman but out of costume.

I could foresee the latter. Possibly to the point he evokes Kingdom Come Batman in the sense he views himself as Batman full time, and Bruce Wayne is largely irrelevant. If any live action Batman could be that intense it's Keaton, especially when you consider his role with the company seems less hands on. And if he did have a relationship with Selina, but it fell apart and caused heartache, I can absolutely see the king of brooding embracing the darkness and further shunning any social life he may have reluctantly embraced due to that pairing. The psychology of the Batman world interests me more than the action, even though I do love a big dukeroo.

Between this Keaton business and ZSJL, I haven't been this Up For The Game with DC films in almost three years.

Batman is never really lacking in terms of content. But it's probably the most excitement at one time we've ever had. And that is magnified by the potential of HBO/AT&T. Anything seems possible now.

[Silver Nemesis]

I'm always rallying against the Hollywood trend for reviving old film franchises to exploit fan nostalgia, but in this one instance – and literally only this one instance – I'm 100% in favour of it. For years, we've congregated on this site to celebrate our shared love of the Keaton Batman era. It was always something we spoke of in the past tense, something we fondly remembered from our childhoods. A shared nostalgia. But now a new Keaton era could be about to begin and it's as though our particular corner of the fandom has finally been validated. That's assuming the whole thing doesn't fall through, of course...

Jett over at Batman-On-Film is saying he knew about this for some time but remained silent for the sake of El Mayimbe and the parties involved in the negotiations. Some details, according to Jett:

•   Despite reports that negotiations are ongoing, Jett is saying the deal is done. It's happening. If this is true, I imagine they'll hold off on the official announcement until the DC FanDome event in August. Just think, later this summer Michael Keaton could be the official movie Batman for the first time since his departure was announced in 1994.

•   As Gotham Knight has already said, they initially wanted Keaton for a cameo but he negotiated a larger role to the point that he's now the co-star of the film. It sounds like it's going to be less of a Flash solo film and more of a Justice League buddy movie starring Batman and the Flash. Jett says he thinks Keaton will wear the suit at some point during the Flashpoint film, but will be playing Bruce Wayne rather than Batman in any subsequent movies. He won't be starring in any solo Batman films.

•   Some kind of mentor film is being planned as a follow-up. It might be Batman Beyond, but Jett is saying it could also be more of a TDKR type thing where he mentors Carrie Kelley, or possibly Batgirl or Nightwing, instead of Terry McGinnis. It sounds like they're focusing on Flashpoint at the moment, but something else is in the pipeline. Jett also mentions Kingdom Come as a possibility.

•   Keaton is indeed replacing Affleck as the DCEU Batman.

Regarding the costume, I'm still confident he'll suit up. Maybe not in the later films, but certainly in the Flashpoint movie. I'm not saying Gotham Knight's source is wrong, because that sounds like something Keaton would say. But if Bat-Keats is indeed co-starring in Flashpoint, then we're going to have to see him in costume for at least some of it. If it's true he's reluctant to wear the suit, then I see three possible ways around the problem:

1)   Keaton wears a lighter and more comfortable suit, possibly enhanced by a post production CG polish. Costume design has evolved over the past three decades and the suit he'd be wearing in 2021 needn't be as heavy or claustrophobic as those he wore in the past. I'm sure they could whip up a lighter and more comfortable costume that still resembles the classic Batsuits on the outside. This would be my first choice, as I want to see Keaton himself playing Batman, not just a stand-in.

2)   They go full motion capture, like Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man suit. I believe they did this for certain shots of Affleck's mech suit in BvS, so there is a precedent. This would be an acceptable alternative that would still allow Keaton to physically play the costumed Batman in most of the scenes that don't entail stunt work. If he really is skittish about donning the suit, then this is probably the most likely solution. If they go this route, I'd expect more of a hi-tech armoured Batsuit compared to what he wore in the earlier films.

3)   They just use stand-ins and digitally map Keaton's face onto their bodies. This would be the worst case scenario for me, as it would mean someone else was actually playing Batman for the entire film, with Keaton only appearing as Bruce Wayne. I've no problem with stunt doubles handling the action, but I want to see Keaton himself in the cowl at some point.

Yeah, I've compared Keaton's Batman with the Golden Age Earth-Two Batman on more than one occasion, and I like your ideas on this. Essentially it would give Keaton's Bats a proper send off much in the same vein as Hugh Jackman's Wolverine with LOGAN. Or to make another comparison, Clint Eastwood with the western genre with Unforgiven. There's a lot of dramatic meat there in terms of story that could be had with a older, beloved version of Batman, which undoubtedly Keaton's Batman is, struggling with his own human limitations, as he takes up the cowl one last time to face a seemingly insurmountable adversary.

This is exactly what I want to see. Keaton's Batman was basically a fusion of the Earth-Two and Steve Englehart versions, and now it sounds as if he'll be adopting some characteristics of the Flashpoint Batman as well. His version was never limited by realism. He's a superhuman Batman who's so strong he can punch a hole through the floor of the Batmobile or wrench a chunk out of a stone wall with his grapple gun. His kicks and punches send goons flying through the air and he can withstand an insane amount of physical punishment. Even if he has slowed down, this guy would still be fighting crime in his sixties. The Earth-Two Batman was about 64 when he died in the comics, and he was still wearing his costume during his final moments. Keaton could easily pass for 64 in the Flashpoint movie, and he should still be actively protecting Gotham.

I don't mind him ditching the suit and taking a backseat mentor role in later films. But if the reports are true, and he is co-starring in Flashpoint, then this is effectively Keaton's long-awaited third Batman movie. In which case I want him back in the suit and cracking skulls like he did in his prime.

For the sake of argument, if Michael Keaton just wants to do a one-off returning as Burton's Batman, then it would be imperative to get him to sign on for a starring role, rather than just a cameo appearance, that properly concludes his Batman's journey that started 31 years ago. I would imagine if AT&T/Warners can get Tim Burton himself to participate in the project, perhaps as a collaborator and/or on-hand consultant, it might sweeten the deal for Keaton to sign an agreement. I am, quite frankly, on the fence about Burton directing a third Batman film starring Keaton at this stage in his career, but there's always the possibility that a director can step in and remain respectful to Burton's vision, and visual aesthetics, but at the same time being mindful in presenting a Batman and Gotham that's 30 years removed from where we last left off.

Essentially, a "Batman Continues" with Keaton. Not all that dissimilar to what was proposed with MGM's "Robocop Returns".

It's starting to sound like Flashpoint will basically be the third Burton Batman movie, except without Burton's involvement. Maybe they could give him a perfunctory producer's credit like they did on Batman Forever, just to tie the new film more closely to the old ones?

The thought of recreating Burton's Gotham, mixing elements from B89 and BR, is almost as tantalising as the prospect of Keaton's return. Just imagine seeing an aging Bat-Keats, dressed in full costume, standing on a gargoyle overlooking the city streets as a dagger-shaped cloud slides ominously across the moon.

Batman is never really lacking in terms of content. But it's probably the most excitement at one time we've ever had. And that is magnified by the potential of HBO/AT&T. Anything seems possible now.

I honestly haven't been this excited about the future of DC adaptations since... probably since the Nolan era. I've been pretty burned out on the whole superhero cinematic genre in recent years, but now things are starting to get interesting again. Keaton could be returning as Batman, Raimi's directing Doctor Strange 2, and there are rumours that Charlie Cox might be returning as Daredevil. All we need now is a Lois & Clark revival, RoboCop Returns starring Peter Weller, and a new Superman solo movie starring Henry Cavill. And maybe throw in a live action Into the Spider-Verse film featuring Tobey Maguire.

[The Laughing Fish]

Jett is an antagonistic, gatekeeping bullsh*t artist who shouldn't even be mentioned on this forum. He thinks he has authority on all things Batman, when in reality he has just some manchild who fanboys over certain interpretations while trashing the whole Batman brand. He knows nothing.

I'll still wait and see whether or not this is happening before I get excited. I don't trust the source of the news.

[Silver Nemesis]

Who else is rereading Flashpoint right now?

[thecolorsblend]

People seem pretty sure that Keaton is coming back as Batman.

It's Ezra Miller coming back as the Flash that it's all of a sudden in question. Turns out choking pregnant women has some downsides, who knew?

[eledoremassis02]

I was also thinking of a CG suit. He did wear the Birdman suit for a small period (It appears it was just for a photo op) but I wonder if he'd be ok wearing one for around the same period of time. If they mix Thomas Wayne with Dark Knight Returns, that could be kind of interesting and could also kind of skirt around the suit issues and could maybe spark a Beyond type storyline.

For CGing over another actor, it's also quite possible and looked good in Birdman. Even Hugh Jackman's finally Wolverine rampage wasn't even him but his face over a stunt double...which still kills me. Hugh is in much better shape than Keaton.

[Silver Nemesis]

People seem pretty sure that Keaton is coming back as Batman.

It's Ezra Miller coming back as the Flash that it's all of a sudden in question. Turns out choking pregnant women has some downsides, who knew?

I wouldn't shed a tear if they recast Miller. If this movie goes ahead, I reckon it has an extremely high chance of topping TDKR at the box office to become the highest grossing Batman film ever. As long as it's not a total disaster, it should breeze past the one billion mark. The only other thing that might prevent that from happening is Miller's involvement. I've said this before, but he was horribly miscast as Barry Allen to begin with. I can tolerate his presence if it means getting Keaton back, but it might be smarter to ditch him and cast someone else in the role.

Would anyone really miss him?

Hugh is in much better shape than Keaton.

This raises an interesting point. The single biggest criticism of Keaton's Batman, other than his use of lethal force (which is down to the writer and director rather than the actor), is his average height and build. Subsequent Batmen have put more effort into their physical preparation to an extent that reflects poorly on Keaton. I always gave him a pass in this regard, because the novelty of the costume more or less circumvented the problem. But muscle suits are no longer a novelty, and it would be awesome if he could get really jacked for this one film, if only to silence the naysayers.

In light of his age, genetics and past history of physical preparation, I don't see how this would be possible. But it would mean a lot to his fans if he could shape up. I know he's not going to gain any significant muscle mass at his age (unless he gives Sly's HGH dealer a ring...), but he should at least tone up what he's already got and lower his body fat percentage to get rid of any excess flab around his belly. At the absolute minimum, he should have ripped abs. Ideally, it would be great if his trainer could focus on building up his lats, as that can make a huge difference to a man's overall shape. Build up your lats and it makes your chest and shoulders look broader, your waist narrower, and it pushes out your triceps to make your arms look thicker. If Keaton could gain some muscle, then that's the area to focus on. He's got quite a few months to prepare, so let's see what he can do.

Regarding height, I think he's closer to 5'8 than 5'9 these days. That's half a foot shorter than the comic book Batman and about three inches shorter than Ezra Miller. Robert Downey Jr is also about 5'8 but his lifts in The Avengers made him look almost as tall as a 6'0 Chris Evans.

Keaton needs to get a pair of those same lifts. Even if they only boost his height to 5'10 or 5'11, that would be acceptable and would place him at a similar stature to Kilmer and Clooney. I'm not too bothered about whether or not he wears a hairpiece. He wore them in B89 and BR, but since he's meant to be older now it really doesn't matter too much. But it might be good to see him in a non-curly hairpiece that resembles the comic book Bruce's hairstyle.

[The Dark Knight]

It's Ezra Miller coming back as the Flash that it's all of a sudden in question. Turns out choking pregnant women has some downsides, who knew?

The best way is to embrace my philosophy of NO LIVES MATTER: you are all equally worthless.

I do recall during the 2005-2012 era, it was 'if you prefer the Burton Batman go and watch those movies, but they're in the past and Nolan is the current business model'. As I said earlier, it's a funny world we live in. It could soon be the opposite situation, with Burton's Batman the current business model, with Bale stuck in the past stuck on three films. And given the self contained nature of that trilogy, it would remain to be seen how a resurrection would take place, and if that creative team would be open to it.

If a Burton Gotham is to be replicated, I'd take either one, but B89 would be the top pick. I have no idea how closely they could evoke what they did in B89, but any differences could be explained with the 30 year time jump.

As for Keaton having to pump iron...I'm honestly not that bothered about that. I'd be totally fine with him resembling the physique he had for the original two films. A modern precedent shouldn't have to dictate he does the same. A new, Kingdom Come type design (opposed to another TDK Returns mech suit) would explain enough, if anything needs explaining in the first place. I've always felt it's the suit that made Keaton a beast, and gave him the ability to do the job. He's on the record saying something similar in the past.

[eledoremassis02]

I do recall during the 2005-2012 era, it was 'if you prefer the Burton Batman go and watch those movies, but they're in the past and Nolan is the current business model'.

That's also something I've been thinking. Nolan's films have such a high degree of regard. Unless the tried to get Bale and he declined. They decided to (as we know of right now) is to merge the Burtonverse and not the Nolan one. I think that's kind of interesting (especially if he is replacing Batfleck)

Regarding height, I think he's closer to 5'8 than 5'9 these days. That's half a foot shorter than the comic book Batman and about three inches shorter than Ezra Miller. Robert Downey Jr is also about 5'8 but his lifts in The Avengers made him look almost as tall as a 6'0 Chris Evans.

I'm about 5'9 and for sure, the only two people who made me feel small when I saw them were Chris Evans and Jason Mamoa (who at some point *arguably* Keaton will be plating up against. But I think the one thing Keaton has that makes up for his size is that crazy spark. I mean, his Batman hadn't shied away from taller/bigger people before.

While this scene is controversial, it has to be in my top 5 Batman moments. He can handle himself in the DCEU

Edit: I just had remembered something I said a long time ago. I know Bruce Timm was shedding the Burton connection before Justice League. But I felt that in the New Adventures-Beyond, Batman actually became more "Keaton like" in his approach to things compared to TAS (outside the table stomp in Phantasm).

Edit 2: Isn't it ironic that Ben Affleck's final outing as batman *minus the snider cut* included the resurrection of Keaton's Batman theme.

[thecolorsblend]

Would anyone really miss him?

Eh. I understand the dynamic that he brings to JL. Batman is the grim avenger with a mission, Wonder Woman is the warrior princess with intel (and a vision!), Cyborg is the tech who sees how the pieces fit together, Aquaman is the boy who would be king who wants to be just another guy so Miller's Flash as an awkward nerd adds a needed dynamic to the mix. It's logical and I get it.

But a whole movie of that? Either Miller would have to play the character a different way or else he'd annoy the entire audience fifteen minutes in.

I'm not as down on Miller on some people are. But if, aside from ZSJL, the Snyderverse is getting abandoned then I don't see any real point in keeping Miller around. Especially when he's already attracted acid bath media coverage. At this point, it might be better to part ways with him and find somebody else.

This raises an interesting point. The single biggest criticism of Keaton's Batman, other than his use of lethal force (which is down to the writer and director rather than the actor), is his average height and build. Subsequent Batmen have put more effort into their physical preparation to an extent that reflects poorly on Keaton. I always gave him a pass in this regard, because the novelty of the costume more or less circumvented the problem. But muscle suits are no longer a novelty, and it would be awesome if he could get really jacked for this one film, if only to silence the naysayers.

In light of his age, genetics and past history of physical preparation, I don't see how this would be possible. But it would mean a lot to his fans if he could shape up. I know he's not going to gain any significant muscle mass at his age (unless he gives Sly's HGH dealer a ring...), but he should at least tone up what he's already got and lower his body fat percentage to get rid of any excess flab around his belly. At the absolute minimum, he should have ripped abs. Ideally, it would be great if his trainer could focus on building up his lats, as that can make a huge difference to a man's overall shape. Build up your lats and it makes your chest and shoulders look broader, your waist narrower, and it pushes out your triceps to make your arms look thicker. If Keaton could gain some muscle, then that's the area to focus on. He's got quite a few months to prepare, so let's see what he can do.

Regarding height, I think he's closer to 5'8 than 5'9 these days. That's half a foot shorter than the comic book Batman and about three inches shorter than Ezra Miller. Robert Downey Jr is also about 5'8 but his lifts in The Avengers made him look almost as tall as a 6'0 Chris Evans.

Keaton needs to get a pair of those same lifts. Even if they only boost his height to 5'10 or 5'11, that would be acceptable and would place him at a similar stature to Kilmer and Clooney. I'm not too bothered about whether or not he wears a hairpiece. He wore them in B89 and BR, but since he's meant to be older now it really doesn't matter too much. But it might be good to see him in a non-curly hairpiece that resembles the comic book Bruce's hairstyle.

I understand all that. I'll even say it makes sense. But Keaton as Batman is one of those cases where I have no objectivity. Him returning to the role is all I need. I don't need him to be shredded or do a lot of toning or whatever. He nailed the character back in 1989 and I know he'll deliver the goods this time too.

Keaton can say what he likes about only wanting one appearance as Batman. But take a look around, the good will and excitement that this announcement has generated is insane. This level of buzz is surely enough to get all parties involved a little more motivated to make a deal.