Hot Toys has released an image of its latest merchandise for The Flash, offering fans their best look yet at Michael Keaton's cache of Batsuits.
Reddit user BlueMissileYT shared the image on the r/DCEUleaks thread, highlighting Hot Toys' diorama of Michael Keaton's Batsuits as seen in Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios' The Flash. Front and center is Keaton's updated costume, surrounded by those that pull from various elements of the Dark Knight's comic book and onscreen history. These include an early Bill Finger-inspired suit, a Neal Adams-esque blue-and-grey ensemble and Keaton's classic outfit from 1989's Batman, among others.
Keaton's return to the Batcave is among the highest-selling points for fans eager to see The Flash. Director Andy Muschietti recently discussed bringing the Academy Award-nominated actor back into the DC Universe, suggesting there was no backup plan if Keaton turned down the role. That said, the director was never worried about Keaton passing on the project. "No, no, no, no. We were, of course, [filled with] blind confidence that you have when you're developing a movie and you get excited about ideas like this," Muschietti said. "[It] just pushes you forward. We were all excited believing that having Michael Keaton as Batman would be a great thing in the movie. And also, I think we all believed that he would be excited about it. And he was."
Batman's Silver Screen Future
In a separate interview, Muschietti also provided a cryptic response to the question of his potential involvement in the DCU's next big-screen Batman offering, The Brave and the Bold. When asked what he would do with the Caped Crusader if he were to take him in a "Brave and Bold direction," Muschietti responded, "Oh, that's... I don't think I can talk to that...yet." There has been no official word on Muschietti's involvement in the project as DC Studios has yet to find (or disclose) the film's director.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has also stated that casting for The Brave and the Bold has not yet begun. That said, in February, Gunn confirmed that the film would feature a new actor in the cape and cowl. Reports from December 2022 suggest that Gunn and partner Peter Safran nixed a Batman Beyond live-action adaptation that would have seen Keaton back in the role as an older Bruce Wayne. The move suggests that Keaton's return to Gotham City may be a round trip, ending with his upcoming appearance in The Flash.
Ben Affleck's time in Gotham will also end with his appearances in The Flash and December's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In December 2022, Gunn indicated that the actor, who is also an accomplished director, was interested in helming a future DCU project. In March, however, Affleck shot down the notion of directing a DC property. "I would not direct something for the Gunn DC. Absolutely not," Affleck stated before expressing confidence in Gunn and his direction for the superhero franchise.
Fans can look forward to seeing Keaton and Affleck return to the DC Universe at least one more time when The Flash hits theaters on June 16.
Source: Reddit