In a world where comic book movies are being made at a clip hitherto undreamt of, fans across all movie universes are being spoiled with content. The primary example of that notion is that audiences will be seeing not one, not two, but THREE Bruce Wayne appearances across two major motion pictures over the next 16 months.
Batman will be portrayed for the first time by Robert Pattinson in The Batman releasing in March 2022. Both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck will be returning to the cape and cowl for The Flash starring Ezra Miller, set to release in November of the same year.
It is a dream come true for many to see Batman of the present, future, and past all getting so much shine on the big screen within a calendar year. One person who seems to be reaping the benefits of so many Dark Knights at once is the stuntman who is seemingly the go-to for anything involving a motorcycle and Batman.
And with the Bat-Cycle being a staple of the caped crusader, he has been pretty busy.
WHAT PATTINSON AND AFFLECK HAVE IN COMMON
Reddit user Nostar123 recently shared that the stunt double who is filming a motorcycle sequence for Ben Affleck's Batman in The Flash movie is none other than legendary motorcyclist/stuntman Rick English. Notably, in early 2020, English filmed motorcycle stunt scenes as a double for Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader in The Batman. Both movies' bike scenes were filmed in Glasgow, Scotland, which acted as the respective films' own Gotham City.
This would hardly be the first time the square-jawed professional thrill-seeker has played the billionaire crime fighter, as he is credited for work on all three Christopher Nolan Batman films. Along with his experience in the superhero genre, he has also worked on a variety of tent pole projects such as Mission Impossible, James Bond, and the Bourne franchise.
English is credited on IMBD for his role in The Batman but not in The Flash, despite being spotted on set.
English was recently involved in an accident on the set of The Flash as a crash occurred between him, a camera operator (both on a bike), and a crew member. While ambulances did arrive on set, everyone involved seems to be doing fine.
THE ULTIMATE BATMAN STUNTMAN
Based on his extensive resume in big-budget films, and his specific experience as The Dark Knight, it might be safe to say that Rick English is the go-to daredevil for all Batman stunt work. With WB spreading the IP as much as they can, it only makes sense to work with the best in the biz across two projects while he is on the payroll.
So shout out to Rick English for not only being a part of both of these highly anticipated movies but also (probably) having a very lucrative 2021.
The idea that Batman is being portrayed by three separate actors across these two movies is a lot for audiences to wrap their heads around. Warner Bros. has insisted that these two movies will exist in separate universes on different playing fields. The sheer nature of The Flash plot and the simple fact there are two Batmen in THAT movie alone, opens the door for anything to be possible.
There is not a ton of speculation going around that Pattinson will make an appearance in the already packed roster for The Flash, but a tinfoil hat and enough spare time can lead anyone to believe that using the same stuntman across both movies is a piece of that multiversal puzzle. One distinguishing quality behind Pattinson and Affleck's Batman performances will be how they fight, move and transverse.
With Rick English taking the extremes of those qualities on for both portrayals, it will be interesting to see how distinguishable the differences will be.
