Michael Keaton's potential return as Batman in DC's The Flash movie is already generating more hype than Vulture appearing in Sony/Marvel's Morbius. Back in 2014, Keaton landed an Oscar nomination for his performance in the Best Picture-winning Birdman, a dark comedy about a washed-up superhero movie actor who attempts to revive his flailing career by staging a high-brow theatrical production. Ironically, Keaton himself is famous for playing the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, yet has never expressed anything but pride towards his work in those films.
If that wasn't proof enough of how different Keaton is from his Birdman character, he would also go on to play the Vulture in Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: Homecoming just three years later. He's since been confirmed to reprise the role in the studios' upcoming Morbius, with the film's trailer showing him (briefly) coming face to face to with Jared Leto's Living Vampire. However, as exciting as the implications are for his appearance there, they pale in comparison to the news about his possible role in The Flash.
Although it's not a done deal just yet, Keaton is currently in talks to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne for the upcoming DCEU film. Described as a loose adaptation of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's Flashpoint comic book storyline, The Flash will reportedly follow Ezra Miller's Barry Allen as he travels back in time to prevent his mother's death, only to inadvertently create an alternate timeline where, in the present-day, Keaton's Batman has been guarding Gotham City for the past 30 years. Assuming Keaton signs on, an official announcement about his casting will presumably be saved for DC's upcoming virtual convention, DC's FanDome, near the end of August.
As intriguing as the implications are for Vulture appearing in Morbius, Keaton coming back as Batman is far more exciting for multiple reasons. Obviously, the actor's history with the role is a big factor. There's a whole generation who grew up revering his portrayal of Bruce Wayne in Burton's films and have long dreamed of getting to see him tackle an older iteration of the character (a la Batman Beyond), but never actually thought it would happen. So, right off the bat (no pun intended), he would bring a greater sense of gravitas to the role in The Flash than another actor would. Perhaps just as exciting are the plans for Keaton's future in the DCEU. Reportedly, the idea is for the actor to appear in multiple movies and serve as a mentor figure going forward, similar to Nick Fury in the MCU. If so, that indicates Keaton's role in The Flash will amount to far more than just fan-service and have some real meat on its bones.
By comparison, the news about Vulture's return is interesting, but with an asterisk. It's obvious Sony and Marvel are building towards a Sinister Six crossover movie, with Keaton's villain and Leto's Morbius already positioned to serve as two of the titular team's members. Problem is, the former has already tried and failed to make a Sinister Six film before, as part of their since-abandoned Amazing Spider-Man universe. There's also no guarantee Morbius will leave audiences eager to see more of its namesake, which would put a dent in their plans. Not to mention, it's apparent Keaton's role in the film will amount to little more than a cameo or maybe even a post-credits scene, as opposed to a full-blown role like the one he'd have in The Flash.
To be clear, Keaton returning as Vulture is welcome news; the character still ranks highly among the most compelling MCU movie antagonists so far, and he'd be a great addition to a big screen version of the Sinister Six. But at the end of day, it just doesn't hold a candle to the actor possibly reprising his role as Batman in not only The Flash, but in several DCEU movies (like Batgirl and maybe Nightwing) to come. So, assuming the deal goes through, DC's the clear winner in this round.
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June 25, 2020 at 05:01AM
