Michael Keaton is official The Batman for DCEU, the 70-year-old star will play as the caped crusader in the Batgirl, after making his appearance in Ezra Miller starrer The Flash movie, multiple trade outlets have confirmed. However, fans are divided over the choice of the actor since many hoped to see Ben Affleck continue his stint.
Keaton’s return connects the Burtonverse to the DC Extended Universe yet it could also erase any mark of the Snyderverse from the ongoing continuity. While some have embraced Keaton’s return, others were dismissive to learn neither Affleck would reprise nor will the Batman role be a complete recast.
In the Heights star Leslie Grace, who plays Barabara Gordon in Batgirl also confirmed the casting news on Twitter, “the bat’s out the bag”. So there’s no doubt Keaton is involved in the HBO Max DC movie project. Though, Some Batfleck and Snyder fans have expressed their disinterest in seeing Keaton put on the cape after 30 years since his last appearance in 1992’s Batman Returns. You can check out their reactions below.
the bat’s out the bag 🦇😌
— Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace) December 22, 2021
Can't believe they dragged Michael Shannon and Antje Traue into this, and Keaton instead of Affleck in Batgirl?? Let the retconning begin i guess https://t.co/jXve3FYugK
— Grayson (@KnightFleck) December 22, 2021
Still my Bruce Wayne and Batman. Thank you, Ben Affleck. 💙❤️ #RestoreTheSnyderVerse pic.twitter.com/PILKvUPRKS
— 🎄George☃️ (@XanderinSoho) December 23, 2021
They said The Flash was going to respect Zack's work. They said Batfleck was going to be the Batman in the Batgirl movie. pic.twitter.com/tl9BAHKfwd
— T'Challa Stan (@KhameekJ03) December 22, 2021
This is Michael Keaton in a 2021 film called Prestige… boy defiantly has plenty of #Batman left in him and can’t wait to see him train #Batgirl and kick ass in #TheFlash
pic.twitter.com/s5rsgwP7X8— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) December 22, 2021
Ben. Affleck. Doesn’t. Want. To. Play. Batman. ANYMORE.
leave Leslie Grace and everyone else involved in Batgirl ALONE.
I stg y’all are some of the most selfish and entitled douchebags.
— JJ (@WildeePatrol) December 23, 2021
Listen i love Keaton Batman and i thought it was so insanely awesome him and Ben were both appearing in the same movie as Batman in the Flash but to officially make him DCEU Batman for Batgirl when he’s OLDER than Gordon isn’t it?? WB really are so amazing at self sabotage wtf😭 pic.twitter.com/OsiM1xXNtU
— sabrina saw NWH (@nightwaynes) December 22, 2021
Ben affleck does NOT want to come back as Batman and y’all insist on asking for it 💀
— Felipe 💀 (@wxhite_wxolf) December 22, 2021
Noooooooooo!
I love Keaton as an actor but Christ, WB, do you have to start shoving his Batman in everything before you've even seen how audiences respond to him? When Ben Affleck is right there?
My god.#MakeTheBatfleckMovie #RestoreTheSnyderverse
— Drü – Sick of trolls (@drewexmachina) December 22, 2021
If Ben Affleck don't want to return as Batman , WB needs to get the recast done rather than making Michael Keaton as new Batman of DCEU😩
— Barry⚡ (@Shreya24613319) December 22, 2021
So Ben Affleck is not Batman anymore…. pic.twitter.com/pyDwKEpt2p
— Ayesha Ali 🇵🇰 (@AhmedAl73052797) December 22, 2021
Unless the DCEU is planning on making a Batman beyond type of show on hbo max, I don’t understand why they had to make Keaton the main Batman instead of recasting Ben affleck. pic.twitter.com/wIANG26pap
— Adam • آدم (@dinahsmollett) December 22, 2021
It must be noted that Matt Reeves’ The Batman movie featuring Robert Pattinson is also scheduled for a 2022 release, though it exists in a different universe. That puts it to a total of three Batmen on-screen appearances for next year. It will be interesting to see how Warner Bros. would go about explaining multiple Batman iterations with no correlation to each other.
The standalone Batgirl project is rumored to set up the stage for a Black Canary Solo flick as well. Batgirl is currently in production helmed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a script penned by Christina Hodson, also the screenwriter for The Flash. The film will also see J.K. Simmons reprise as Jim Gordon.
Batgirl is scheduled to stream on HBO Max sometime in late 2022.
