The announcement that Michael Keaton could be joining the DC Extended Universe's Flash film as Bruce Wayne/Batman was met with cheers and applause from fans and critics alike. However, a new rumor suggests that nothing is set in stone and that Warner Bros., which owns the DC films, has a backup plan if things don't go its way.

According to Jeremy Conrad's DCEU Mythic, talks between DC and Keaton are still ongoing. In the event that they fall through, however, Warner Bros. still wants to cast an older Batman for the film in the form of Christian Bale, who portrayed the Caped Crusader in Christopher Nolan's gritty Batman trilogy. Conrad also reported that the studio currently has no plans on approaching Ben Affleck, who has expressed that he is done with the role permanently.

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Whether it is Keaton or Bale, The Flash's Batman will not be a young fighter like The Batman's Robert Pattinson or even Affleck's mature and grizzled version of the character from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Rather, the DCEU is looking to create an older version of the character that will act as a guide to Ezra Miller's Flash as well as other DC heroes, similar to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Directed by Andy Muschietti with a script by Christina Hodson, The Flash stars Ezra Miller. The film arrives in theaters June 3, 2022.

KEEP READING: The Flash: Michael Keaton's Batman Will Be Bruce, Not Thomas Wayne