One of DC’s coolest characters, Batman aka Bruce Wayne, has been the subject of tons of comic books and movies revolving around him and his fights against numerous other DC villains. But there’s only ever been a few select actors chosen to portray the billionaire vigilante who have excelled in doing so.
The first that comes to mind is Chrisitan Bale, Michael Keaton, and then Ben Affleck, in that order. But only two of those three names are still (as for Keaton, his plans were scrapped after Batgirl‘s cancellation, with only an appearance as The Flash left for him) standing strong for a spot in the DCU as Batman. And now, it seems like there will soon only be one bat left standing.
Reports Claim DCU Is Moving Towards Staffing Only One Actor For Batman
For the newer generation, Michael Keaton was the Christian Bale of the late 80s and 90s, only in the sense that he became the face of Batman for a considerable amount of time.
The 71-year-old actor led the cast for Batman(1989) and Batman Returns(1992). He would be leaving behind a legacy that would, later on, earn him a second chance at showcasing his take on the character once again in Batgirl, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and the upcoming Ezra Miller led-movie The Flash.
However, leaving out The Flash, his screen time is not so prominent in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, where he’ll only be reprising his role as Batman in a deleted scene. As for Batgirl, it simply got canceled by Warner Bros.
And now his role in The Flash has also been relegated to a faceless cameo, according to industry scooper Mike Sutton. Sutton announced this piece of news after eavesdropping on Syl Abdul’s YouTube channel, and the stars have decided to not align for Keaton after all.
Abdul and Sutton have together reported that Michael Keaton will be facing a reduction in the screen time allotted to him for the upcoming Andy Muschietti-directed movie. Abdul confirmed it by talking about the actor’s involvement in the sequel to Aquaman-
“Ben signed onto a contract. Ben’s gonna be there. Keaton? I’m not hearing any contract, any other projects…the report hasn’t changed.”
In relation to the topic, Abdul had this to say in his last video-
“There is still a possibility that Keaton’s role could actually be reduced in The Flash.”
Well, that’s one bad news after the other for Keaton, given these reports are speaking the truth.
No Favor For Michael Keaton as Batman From David Zaslav And James Gunn
Michael Keaton is 71 years old, and he now has to follow Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav’s instructions, a man who does not want an aged actor as the face of one of his company’s most valuable assets.
This also explains why the preferred Batman actor, Ben Affleck has reportedly had his role in the upcoming sequel to Aquaman rewritten and promoted to the supporting character spot.
James Gunn is also your new DC Studios co-head along with Peter Safran after the departure of Walter Hamada. Gunn, much like Zaslav, does not fancy Keaton as Batman, with the biggest concern relating to his age coming into play.
A bleak future for him in the DCU awaits Keaton, who has nowhere to go after his last appearance in the DCU coming to a close as DCU’s The Flash gears up for a release next year on June 23rd.
Source: Bounding Into Comics
