The Flash was released on June 16 and featured an ensemble cast of Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, and Sasha Calle. Before its release, only its trailers served as a reference for what the film might have to offer.
DCEU’s The Flash changes the timeline, fans had a few surprises from the Justice League, but the main substitutes are Michael Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.
[Spoiler Alert]
However, it was quickly revealed in the film that the changes in the timeline caused massive repercussions. It is no secret that in the climax of The Flash, George Clooney emerged as Bruce Wayne of that timeline.
This development has the followers of the DCU worried about the fate of both the actors who previously played the Caped Crusader.
The Flash has set up this and more concerns for the future of the DCU. Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen turned out to be the breath of fresh air that the DCU needed, even though it hung out to be a lousy bet for Warner Bros.
The film initially seemed to be gaining traction among both fans and critics. However, it quickly emerged as a box office bomb.
With The Flash being another set of failures for DC Studios, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck’s futures are uncertain with respect to playing Batman.
Is Ben Affleck Returning to Play Batman?
Ben Affleck’s journey as Batman began in 2013 upon Man of Steel’s release. Warner Bros. had started developing its own superhero universe to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first appearance took place in the highly polarising Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Despite the reviews, the film did well at the box office, and eventually, Affleck subsequent appearances in Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017).
It wasn’t until Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) and The Flash (2023) that Affleck took on the mantle of Batman again. As far as his appearance after The Flash is considered, chances are it will not materialize.
James Gunn, who took over DC Studios in December 2022, announced that a new DC slate would be produced over the course of the next 8-10 years, which will feature new characters and actors playing the superheroes.
Gunn revealed that The Flash would essentially serve as a soft reboot of the DC Universe. Considering that Ben Affleck essentially belonged to the old DCU, it’s unlikely he’ll be playing the character again.
Will Michael Keaton Return as The Caped Crusader?
Michael Keaton’s Batman was a one-off in The Flash. That’s because when Barry Allen broke into the new timeline by saving his mother, Nora Allen, Michael Keaton served as Batman. It’s unclear whether the new timeline had anything to do with the Tim Burton Batman universe, but Keaton served as the very same version of Batman.
Moreover, it was within the timeline’s fate for his version of Batman to die in the battle against Zod. As The Flash explained, it was an Absolute point in time that could not be fixed no matter what. Unfortunately, the passing of Barry Allen’s mother was similarly such a point as well.
Who Will Play Batman in the DCU?
As James Gunn said in his announcement for the DC Slate, there can be multiple versions of superheroes within the DCU. He vehemently denied the idea that George Clooney remains to be the current Batman in the DCU when a fan posed the question on Twitter. Currently, two Batman projects are underway from DC Studios.
The first one is The Batman II, which will feature Robert Pattinson returning to reprise his role. Matt Reeves, the director, is developing his own Batman universe, which will exist within the Elseworlds continuity, separate from the main DCU continuity.
On the other hand, James Gunn is developing The Brave and The Bold, which will show a different Batman variant and his relationship with his son, Damian Wayne. The casting details for the project have not yet been finalized.
Anyway, The Flash is now available in your nearest theatres.
Well, Do you think any of the actors who played Batman would ever dawn the cape again? Also, Who do you think should be the next Batman in the DCU?
Let us know it all in the comments.
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