The Flash is ending the DC Universe movie continuity as audiences know it, but it's also exploring various other universes along the way. One of them is the world of Tim Burton's Batman films, with Michael Keaton reprising his iconic role as the Caped Crusader. In going back to that version of Gotham City, the movie may explain the differences seen in another variant of it.

Batman Forever was supposedly the sequel to Batman Returns, but the change in Batman actors, directors and the look and feel of Gotham was incredibly jarring. Some have hypothesized that the third movie was actually set in a new continuity, an idea backed by later comic books. The Flash may finally establish this as fact, splitting the timeline and solving a decades-old mystery.

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Batman Forever Never Felt Like a Sequel to Batman Returns

Jim Carrey dressed as the Riddler with Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face

Batman Returns was the sequel to the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film, and it doubled down on that film's mood and aesthetic. More of a Burton project than ever, the film basked in its dark, Gothic color palette and was fittingly eerie. Much like its version of Penguin, the film had an almost grotesque and vulgar quality to it, something which rubbed many parents the wrong way. Thus, when it was time for a follow-up, ample changes were made to be a bit more family-friendly. Burton and star Michael Keaton were both gone, and in their stead was director Joel Schumacher and actor Val Kilmer. That wasn't the only massive change to the Batman film series, however.

Batman Forever was a much lighter, cartoonier and campier affair, almost feeling like a throwback in some ways to the 1960s Adam West Batman TV show. Gotham City was filled with vibrant neon, completely doing away with the German Expressionism aesthetic of the first two movies. Likewise, Tommy Lee Jones now played Harvey Dent/Two-Face, whereas he was played by Billy Dee Williams in Burton's first film. This made many wonder if the film should even be seen as a sequel to what had come before instead of being looked at as a reboot. Supplemental material now suggests the latter, and The Flash may be the final word.

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The Flash Will Cement the Burton Movies as Separate from Batman Forever

In 2021, DC Comics released a Batman '89 comic book miniseries that acted as a sequel to Batman and Batman Returns. Clearly based on Burton's world and featuring the likeness of Michael Keaton and Billy Dee Williams, it was meant to act as the third Burton Batman that audiences never got. By using Keaton instead of Kilmer and the fact that a version of Robin was introduced that wasn't Chris O'Donnell's Dick Grayson, it was clear that the series essentially replaced Batman Forever as the third film in the series' continuity.

Now, The Flash will showcase a much older version of Keaton's Batman, seemingly cementing that Batman Forever and Batman & Robin aren't canon to the Burton films. The plot of The Flash has Barry Allen ruining the DC Universe by his travels through time and space, with the fallout rebooting the DCU's continuity. It's highly likely that these actions also had an effect on the Burtonverse, even if it's not directly shown. If so, it could create a literal split in continuity where the latter two 1990s Batman films are in their own world with a very different version of Batman, Robin and Two-Face. If so, the only similarities would be the identical variants of Alfred and James Gordon, both played by Michael Gough and Pat Hingle.

Given the fanservice already seen in The Flash and the extra history hinted at for Keaton's Batman, it's entirely possible that something to this effect is planned. It would offer a sense fo closure and fill in the blanks for what really happened to the Burtonverse, something which fans have desired for decades. That's not even taking into account the plans for the film Batgirl, which seemingly involved Keaton's Batman being the main Batman in a rebooted DC Universe. Now, the DCU is changing in another direction, but the cause of this might be able to explain why a similar thing happened with Batman's first film series.

To see Michael Keaton's return as Batman, The Flash premieres in theaters on June 16th, 2023.