RUMOUR: Christian Bale sought to return as Batman in The Flash movie if Micheal Keaton doesn’t?

 

So, we’re still excited for the news that Michael Keaton is likely being sought to return as Batman in the upcoming Flash movie (here).

The idea is that, in the movie, The Flash will travel through other universes, meeting various incarnations of the characters from his universe (in this case the current DCEU of Justice League characters) and one of those will be the Batman we first met in 1989, played by Keaton and directed by Burton.

This is very exciting news and builds on everything The CW did with the recent Crisis on Infinity Earths event which pulled together DC characters from movies, TV shows and even cartoons dating back as far as the 1960s’ Batman series (enjoy). In this event Ezra Miller’s Flash actually came into the Arrowverse and met its version of Flash:

I’m guessing that this event will lead to Miller’s Flash exploring other realities, leading him to Keaton’s Batman. Honestly, this is very, very exciting stuff for fans of DC Comics.

Anyway, we also know that Keaton’s appearance may mean that the rumoured appearance of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Thomas Wayne may not happen (here), meaning that, should Keaton pull out, Morgan will step in as the alternate version of Wayne we meet in the Flashpoint storyline which sees young Bruce murdered and his father becoming Batman and, essentially, becoming a father figure for the whole DC universe.

Now, however, it seems that Morgan isn’t the only ‘Plan B’ with a new name entering the fray.

As you will have worked out from the title and art (above), Christian Bale – Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises – may be  the second choice, should Keaton not take the gig.

This makes a lot of sense, given that after Keaton, Bale is the only other established Batman that could step into the older mentor role – and yes, I know that Kevin Conroy of Batman: The Animated Series fame could do it and the fan would love it (especially after he too put in a greate appearance in The CW’s event) but for the wider audience, Keaton or Bale make more sense.

There’s not a lot known about this at the minute and, indeed, it rests in the realm of speculation, but it does make sense… although, from a storytelling point of view Keaton makes more sense because, unlike Bale’s, we never saw closure for his Batman.

The rumour persists that The Flash’s Batman will be the Nick Fury of the DCEU, guiding Miller’s Flash and perhaps even crossing into other movies and perhaps even (please, please, please) his own movie to close out his Character’s trilogy (here).

This rumour also goes on to say that at one point, Bale was offered $50m to play Batman in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice but he refused. This actually makes sense and I can absolutely see Bale being the grizzled Batman that Ben Affleck went on to play so well.

It also would have meant that The Dark Knight trilogy would have been the start of the DCEU proper.

Anyway, that’s the rumour and sometimes, it’s just good to mull a fun idea around, isn’t it?

Could you see Bale returning? Would you rather have him or Keaton or would you rather Morgan return and they go full Flashpoint in this movie?

Let me know all your thoughts, gang.

Source: Batman-News