DC Comics revealed that the adventures of Christopher Reeve's Superman and Michael Keaton's Batman take place on the same Earth.
In the one-shot Dark Crisis: Big Bang, Barry Allen/The Flash is revealed to have been taking notes on the various Earths across the Multiverse, identifying them by their most noteworthy characteristics. The limited series Superman '78 and Batman '89 have been designated to exist on Earth-789, with Barry noting that on this Earth, "Superman and Supergirl are Earth's only powered heroes; Batman's parents killed by the Joker." This is the first time the worlds of Christopher Reeve's Superman and Michael Keaton's Batman have been confirmed to exist on the same Earth.
Superman '78 and Batman '89 were comic book limited series published by DC Comics between 2021 and 2022 that served as alternate continuations of Richard Donner's Superman films and Tim Burton's Batman films, respectively. Both series received positive reviews from critics, with praise going towards the artwork and worldbuilding.
Reeve starred as Clark Kent/Superman in four films between 1978 and 1987, with many fans considering his portrayal as the Big Blue Boy Scout to be one of the best. Reeve's Superman films made over $600 million at the worldwide box office, helping to pave the way for superhero films' mainstream popularity in the 21st century.
Michael Keaton's Batman Returns in The Flash
While Keaton's casting in Burton's Batman (1989) was initially met with backlash from fans, the actor's performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman was largely well-received upon the film's release. Keaton reprised his role in Burton's follow-up, 1992's Batman Returns, but rejected an offer to return for 1995's Batman Forever. However, the actor will make his grand return as the Caped Crusader in 2023's The Flash, acting opposite the DC Universe's Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller). Keaton also shot scenes for the shelved HBO Max film Batgirl and was set to headline a Batman Beyond film adaptation before the project was scrapped by DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1 is set after the monumental events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4. Pariah has successfully resurrected the infinite Multiverse and all of reality is still reeling from the event. The one-shot follows "Doctor Multiverse on a haunting journey through these newly re-formed realities, from The Jurassic League to DC: Mech…from Dark Knights of Steel to Batman '89 and back again."
Written by Mark Waid, Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
Source: DC