Michael Keaton was last seen in the role of Bruce Wayne in 1992's Batman Returns, where he faced off against Danny DeVito's Penguin. Since then, several other actors have embodied the Caped Crusader; Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson, to name a few. Now, thirty years later, he's set to put that cowl back on for next year's The Flash.
As last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home demonstrated, the idea of former iconic superhero actors returning to their roles has become something of a trend—an extremely successful one at that. So, unsurprisingly, Warner Bros. decided they wanted to jump aboard the nostalgia train.
But when Keaton's return does eventually arrive, what will he look like? Unfortunately, some of the only real glimpses fans have gotten so far have been from set photos taken from a good distance away.
Now, thanks to a Christmas ornament of all things, that's changed.
Brand New Look at Michael Keaton's Batsuit
Thanks to Twitter user @FlashFilmNews, fans have a new look at Michael Keaton's Batman from next year's The Flash.
The Christmas tree ornament, which was spotted at a Target, has The Flash's logo in the top right and showcases the best look at Keaton's Batsuit audiences have gotten yet.
The suit, while probably not identical, looks extremely similar to his classic appearance from the Tim Burton Batman films.
This look lines up with previous set photos of the Dark Knight as seen for the canceled Batgirl project.
It looks quite similar to the formerly released The Flash concept art, which sees Ezra Miller's speedster and Keaton's crime fight ready for a fight.
The suit that Keaton will be sporting in the 2023 film looks nearly identical to that of his original films. At the very least, there aren't any drastic changes to the design. It keeps the bright yellow symbol (which is a very recognizable feature, after all), pointed cowl ends, and an almost entirely black color scheme.
One key difference seems to be the belt, which is all black on the ornament but can be seen in the movies in a bright yellow/golden hue. It also looks to make some subtle changes to the linings across the suit, with The Flash's version featuring more rounded edges than his older attire.
What's Keaton's Future as Batman?
Sadly, Michael Keaton's future as Batman in the DCU is in question. While he was meant to be introduced as the main Dark Knight at the end of The Flash, the cancelation of Batgirl may have switched up some things.
In Leslie Grace's canceled adventure, Keaton would have originally shown up as a "pivotal cameo when he pops in and out." Now, his future after Ezra Miller's solo outing is a big question mark.
Recently it was reported that Ben Affleck was on set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom for reshoots. Rumors stated that the purpose of these additional scenes was meant to replace the ones Keaton had previously shot.
The situation still remains unclear, as do a lot of future developments with the DCU.
Hopefully, with James Gunn in charge of the whole universe, the course of the DC Cinematic Universe can be corrected.
The Flash is set to hit theaters on June 23, 2023.
