As the DC Extended Universe's The Flash is set to include the reality bending aspects of the multiverse, returning Batman (1989) star Michael Keaton claimed he was too "stupid" to grasp it.
As part of an interview with THR, Keaton discussed returning to his iconic role as Bruce Wayne, as well as the complexities of the film's multiverse plotline. He reflected on reading the script, saying, "I had to read it more than three times to go, 'Wait, how does this work?' They had to explain that to me several times. By the way, I'm not being arrogant, I hope, about this. I don't say it like, 'I'm too groovy.' I'm stupid. There's a lot of things I don't know about. And so, I don't know, I just kind of figured it out, but this was different."
While the movie is reportedly influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint, Keaton's casting revealed that the film would deviate somewhat regarding the consequences of time travel. The comics used Thomas Wayne as the Batman that Barry Allen encountered in the altered reality. However, Keaton is confirmed to be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne as seen in the Tim Burton films. This subsequently implied that the movie would be dealing with the multiverse, rather than a timeline alteration.
His involvement in the DCEU is not the only role that has caused Keaton some confusion. A trailer for the upcoming Sony film Morbius featured the actor reprising his role as the Vulture, although he was unable to clarify how it connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When reflecting on how it was explained to him, Keaton said, "And I’m thinking, 'You may as well be explaining quantum physics right now to me. All I know is I just know my guy. And I know the basics.'"
Keaton left the role of the caped crusader ahead of the 1995 movie Batman Forever after disagreements over Joel Schumacher's script. Despite this, Keaton was confident he could recapture the essence of the role, saying, "Frankly, in the back of my head, I always thought, 'I bet I could go back and nail that motherfucker.'"
He went on to explain the process of returning to the character and how it reshaped his view on superheroes in cinema. "What's really interesting is how much more I got [Batman] when I went back and did him. I get this on a whole other level now. I totally respect it. I respect what people are trying to make. I never looked at it like, 'Oh, this is just a silly thing.' It was not a silly thing when I did Batman. But it has become a giant thing, culturally. It's iconic. So I have even more respect for it because what do I know? This is a big deal in the world to people. You've got to honor that and be respectful of that. Even I go, 'Jesus, this is huge.'"
Directed by Andy Muschetti and starring Ezra Miller, The Flash arrives in theaters Nov. 4, 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter