Michael Keaton Had Nothing But Confidence Stepping Back Into Batman's Cape And Cowl
"The Flash" will reportedly press the reset button on the DC Universe to usher in a new age of James Gunn-led superhero projects, so it's only appropriate that it doesn't pull any punches with grand spectacle. Arguably the most hyped part of the film is its multiversal crossover aspect, which sees the return of Michael Keaton's Batman, with the actor wearing the cape for the first time since the sequel to 1989's "Batman," 1992's "Batman Returns." Keaton has had a long and prolific career that spans much further than the Caped Crusader, but he finally seems more than ready to return to his past after taking a 30-year break from the role.
Keaton has had a working relationship with "Batman" director Tim Burton since "Beetlejuice" in 1988, which helped catapult him to stardom. Perhaps that's why, when Joel Schumacher took over the franchise reigns in 1995 to direct "Batman Forever," Keaton backed out. Keaton and Schumacher had differing takes on the character ("I don't understand why everything has to be so dark and everything so sad," Keaton recalled the new director saying). Since then, Keaton has played a washed-up superhero actor in the sardonic "Birdman," which seemed to be a meta-commentary on his Batman stint, before returning to the genre in full force as the villainous Vulture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."'
This is a big deal
Michael Keaton had tossed around the idea of returning as Batman for years, according to an August 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Frankly, in the back of my head, I always thought, 'I bet I could go back and nail that motherf*****r,' " he said. It wasn't until he read Christina Hodson's script for "The Flash," however, that he saw an opening for him. He went on to explain how, even though it's the same character, he approached his performance with a modern understanding of the role's legacy:
"What's really interesting is how much more I got [Batman] when I went back and did him. I get this on a whole other level now. I totally respect it. I respect what people are trying to make. I never looked at it like, 'Oh, this is just a silly thing.' It was not a silly thing when I did Batman. But it has become a giant thing, culturally. It's iconic. So I have even more respect for it because what do I know? This is a big deal in the world to people. You've got to honor that and be respectful of that. Even I go, 'Jesus, this is huge.'"
Director Andy Muschietti even told IGN recently that Keaton got a little emotional on set, describing how his eyes went wide when looking at the Batcave and asking for a picture of himself in the suit to send to his grandson. "Something was going on there," Muschietti observed. Considering the fact that the original "Batman" helped launch modern superhero movies in the first place, Keaton's journey has come full circle.