With The Flash set to take us into the Multiverse, it's fair to say Warner Bros. definitely exceeded expectations by convincing Michael Keaton to reprise the role of Batman. Still considered the best big screen Dark Knight by many fans, it was thought that the movie would end with him becoming a permanent addition to the DCEU.
This was seemingly confirmed when he was spotted suited up on the set of Batgirl, a movie that quite clearly takes place in this world (and not the Gotham City created by Tim Burton).
Rumblings that Keaton shot a cameo role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were recently confirmed, as was the fact that Ben Affleck agreed to shoot scenes for the movie after test audiences were left confused by his predecessor's presence. Remember, casual moviegoers don't follow comic book movie news as closely as we do, so his presence there would have made no sense to them without having seen The Flash for context. That movie was originally supposed to be released before the Aquaman sequel.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Keaton was being positioned in a Nick Fury-type role in the DCEU, popping up in multiple movies to offer guidance (it's said he was at the heart of a "splashy action sequence" in Batgirl). So, has that changed?
The actor's Batman has already been ditched from two movies, leaving The Flash his only upcoming DC role. We've heard that the tentative plan now is for Keaton's return to be confined to that solo outing for the Scarlet Speedster, with this Caped Crusader unlikely to factor into Warner Bros.' future plans.
Nothing is confirmed and we can only speculate as to why that might be. This doesn't necessarily mean Affleck's Batman has a future, and if anything, we'd bet on Warner Bros. wanting to focus on the Dark Knight that just starred in a critically acclaimed movie, The Batman, seeing as the blockbuster grossed $770 million at the worldwide box office.
It's also possible the overwhelmingly negative reaction to Keaton's return as The Vulture in Morbius has dampened Warner Bros.' interest in revisiting his Batman, though that's pure speculation on our part.
Are you hoping Keaton has a future as Batman in the DCEU?