THE FLASH Originally Included A Deleted Scene Explaining Why Bruce Wayne Stopped Being Batman

THE FLASH Originally Included A Deleted Scene Explaining Why Bruce Wayne Stopped Being Batman

The Flash director Andy Muschietti has revealed that the upcoming Blu-ray release will include a deleted scene which explains why Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne decided to hang up the cape and cowl...

By MarkCassidy - Jun 20, 2023 10:06 AM EST
Filed Under: The Flash

In The Flash, when Barry Allen and his younger, alternate timeline counterpart make their way to Wayne Manor in an attempt to enlist the aid of Batman, they discover that this reality's Bruce Wayne is a completely different person, and hasn't been operating as Gotham City's protector for a long time.

Bruce (Michael Keaton) drops a few vague hints about his reasons for hanging up the cape and cowl, but director Andy Muschietti has now revealed that the movie originally featured a scene which explained exactly why he decided to stop being Batman, and fans will get to see it on the eventual Blu-ray release.

"The insertion of the [Michael Keaton Bruce Wayne] story set up some questions, which is part of a big question that you ask yourself when you're approaching a movie like this," the filmmaker said while chatting to Indiewire for their Toolkit podcast. "But it was a fun process. How much of [Tim Burton's movies] do we abide by? How much of the aesthetics, how much of the tone?"

"I was very attracted to the idea of finding Bruce Wayne 30 years later and seeing him and basically fantasizing about what his life would have been 30 years later. The idea of, also, the reason why he quit being Batman was very important to me. There's a deleted scene, and you will see in the extras of the digital version of the DVD where that scene is there. We took it out for pacing reasons, but for me, it's very revealing and very important."

Muschietti goes on to explain why the Caped Crusader's tech had evolved so much since we last saw him in Tim Burton's Batman movies.

"The idea of transformation was important to me. I didn't want to find Bruce Wayne in the same spot where we left him 30 years ago. I wanted to create a bit of backstory where he kept being Batman for a few more years, hence the new gadgets and the technology that we see. You see that everything looks like the designs of the Tim Burton movies, but a little altered. His suit is slightly different, the Batwing is different — it's a three-seater now, and he has that rotating technology that was included. I just had fun exploring it."

Keaton's Batman was going to feature in several other DC projects before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as DC Studios co-heads. There's a chance he will get to reprise the role down the line, but with The Flash currently underperforming, it's probably not very likely.

"Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash features Barry Allen traveling back in time in order to change events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to help. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian…albeit not the one he’s looking for.

Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?"

The Flash is produced by Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco, with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, and a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold, based on characters from DC. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film.

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Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 6/20/2023, 10:35 AM
Well when Batman says that Gotham has never been safer, I guess that kinda of explains why. His job was done.
RealTurner
RealTurner - 6/20/2023, 10:35 AM
Surely "including a deleted scene" is an infinite loop?
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 6/20/2023, 10:43 AM
@RealTurner - Was gonna say the same thing. He threw me for a loop with that one; how do have a deleted scene in a movie?
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 6/20/2023, 10:45 AM
@RealTurner - Included a scene that was ultimately deleted and will be on the Blu-ray. But that wouldn't fit in the headline.
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 6/20/2023, 10:39 AM
"THE FLASH Originally Included A Deleted Scene Explaining Why Bruce Wayne Stopped Being Batman"

Because it's same message modern Hollywood has been hammering home in all these cashgrabs over the past decade plus:
All of your old heroes are now worthless old pathetic failures and need to die pathetically and get out of the way. That's the goal of deconstruction and demoralization.

Keaton's Batman proceeds to die a comical pathetic death accomplishing nothing...twice.

ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 10:47 AM
@Feralwookiee - Promoting ageism is good for population control. It's Logan's Run logic.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 11:14 AM
@Feralwookiee - Basically they are killing all of our toxic male heroes to replace them with sensitive Betas.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 6/20/2023, 11:40 AM
@Feralwookiee - his death was far from pathetic 🤣
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 6/20/2023, 10:39 AM
Elseworlds those unexplored years in a MAX 10 Part Series
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 6/20/2023, 10:41 AM
Unless it’s different than the reason the movie gave(that Urubrodi says above) then we’ve heard. I guess there’s going to be a flashback? Maybe not.

This was probably the most comic booky Batman has been with how he fights and his gadgets.
micvalpro
micvalpro - 6/20/2023, 10:42 AM
Gotham being safe didn’t make sense for him to look like a homeless hermit. It would have been bad ass to see him look like his cleaned up version, jumping out the shadows in the kitchen with something around his face hiding his identity and then revealing himself. Showing that he’s still always Batman no matter the situation.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 11:07 AM
@micvalpro - It did make sense, Bruce lost all meaning and purpose after making Gotham safe, that is why he is pretty much an hermit; being Batman was the only reason he had to shave and cut his nails.
The problem is that 5 minutes later, he is back on the suit, and he is actually stronger and faster than he was in his prime.
Another problem is that it makes zero sense for him to be an expert on multiverse theories, to the point he is the one explaining the rule to the guy who already dealt with gods and monsters.
SpiderBrad
SpiderBrad - 6/20/2023, 11:36 AM
@micvalpro - Michael Keaton could have played that up well
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 10:43 AM
I just got through watching Batman Returns part II again (I didn't pay for it this time) and there is a problem. Another one.

The whole plot hinges on the idea that if Barry's dad is out buying a tin of tomatoes that the Reverse Flash kills Barry's mom, but if he's not out buying a tin of tomatoes and is instead at home... that the Reverse Flash is now somehow unable to kill Barry's mom.

Putting aside the misogynist insinuations (Nora can't stop Thawne because she's a woman but Henry can because he's a man), he's a [frick]ing superpowered evil speedster time traveller from the future!

Henry Allen being at home is not going to stop him. And even if you can ignore the absurdity of that conceit, surely Henry Allen's gotta take a bathroom break, or take out the trash or go into the kitchen or something! He's not going to be at Nora's side the whole evening and the Reverse Flash is a [frick]ing time traveller. He can wait for an opportunity, or pick another night or pick ANY OTHER TIME in Barry's childhood.

[frick]! This movie!
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 6/20/2023, 10:52 AM
@ObserverIO - 1 shot of bail even though I haven’t seen the movie read the plot though

The point wasn’t to stop his mom dying , she still died but his dad wasn’t falsely convicted for it this time
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 11:08 AM
@ObserverIO - Dont forget that Kara, even having infinite tries, cant never, ever, defeat Zod, even having the help from Batman and two Flashes.

The message this movie gives to little girls watching it is terrible.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 11:19 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - Yeah, because Batman and Wonder Woman were really helpful with Doomsday (who was created from Zod) along with Superman.

And Superman had to actually break Zod's neck in Man of Steel because he couldn't beat him any other way.

What, You don't think there are enough strong women in movies now? They haven't driven that home enough.
The one time a woman isn't able to beat an equally super powered male you consider this a "bad message"?

TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 11:26 AM
@TyrantBossMedia - Superman defeated Zod in 5 minutes, AFTER taking down the World Engine...meanwhile, this movie makes it openly clear that Kara will never, ever, no matter how many times she tries, being able to defeat Zod, despite having the help of Batman and TWO Flashes who can LITERALLY give her infinite tries, and have knowledge from the future.
BraveNewClunge
BraveNewClunge - 6/20/2023, 11:46 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - 🤣 you right on this one. TBM is just happy his fragility wasn't checked this time.

Man always stronger than woman, woman no match for man, ever!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 12:37 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - So why can't they have Kara snap Zods neck? She would do it too, especially this version of her. And the fans wouldn't complain nearly as much as they would have done when Kal-El did it.

Also Doomsday was way bigger than Zod, that's not even comparable.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 12:41 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - It's slightly different to the plot leak. Barry successfully prevented his mother's murder simply by keeping his father in the house. So we're supposed to believe that Reverse Flash saw a man in the house and was scared off.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 6/20/2023, 12:51 PM
@ObserverIO - so she’s alive now ?
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 1:01 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - No he succeeds in saving her early in the film creating the flashpoint, then he puts the tomatoes back again but in a place that would make sure his dad's face is captured by the security cameras, exonerating him.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/20/2023, 1:06 PM
@ShimmyShimmyYA - So basically his mom goes shopping and forgets to pick up a tin of tomatoes which means his dad goes out for them later and that's when the murder happens, when he's out of the house.

So Barry makes sure he doesn't have to leave the house by putting the tomatoes in his mother's cart while she's shopping.

This is saying that the only thing preventing the murder is Barry's dad not leaving the house.
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 6/20/2023, 1:27 PM
@ObserverIO - ok ok I got it you were referencing the first change to keep her alive .


Yeah in the show how he saves her makes way more sense cause he ya know actually fights reverse flash , which is why doing flashpoint first is kinda dumb
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 4:56 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - Men are biologically stronger than women so it makes far more sense that Superman would be able to beat Zod easier than Kara.

Not to mention we are talking about Zach Snyder's Superman where his over abundance of special effects and rushed storytelling lends itself to a faster battle.

If there is no risk of Supergirl being killed then all tension is dissolved much like when they made Neo too strong in the Matrix sequels.

For once I am happy to not see a Mary Sue. There has to be risk.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 4:57 PM
@DaScarletClunge - Women are are not biologically stronger than men as a rule, especially a big guy like Zod and smaller female like Supergirl.

And if you're going to try to call me out then have the balls and actually @ me.
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 4:59 PM
@ObserverIO - Does every woman in every movie have to be as strong as or stronger than every man?

Are you guys that conditioned and sensitive to have to have women best men in EVERY movie.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 5:42 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - She dies in every single possible outcome? how many times did Barry 2 tried to find a way for her to win? billions?
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 6:12 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - That's called fate. The Avengers lost in every outcome out of 14 million except for one.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 6:17 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - "fate", right...

TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 6:36 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - No, Your right. Of course, Hollywood has an agenda to be sexist and have Supergirl die because Hollywood has never been pushing superior females, nearly flawless with amazing abilities in most every franchise for the last give years.

Damn sexists.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 6:52 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - I know you are being sarcastic, but every word you just wrote, is true.

Kara only exists in this movie as an object, she is just there for Barry 2 to fall in love (in the 5 seconds they spend together) so he would go mad trying to save her.
She is in the movie for one reason, and one reason alone:


TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 6/20/2023, 7:10 PM
@TheHumanSpider2 - So let me get this straight. Now you are trying to tell me that Woke Hollywood that has been pushing this feminist agenda for years is suddenly sexist.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/20/2023, 7:12 PM
@TyrantBossMedia - It always was.
Making 3 movies with a female lead in the past 10 years doesnt change that.
Kara in this movie is not even a character.
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