By Josh Bate
As the DCEU, or DC cinematic universe, transitions into a new era of films, much will still remain the same. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa is Aquaman, Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn, and more. Still, changes are afoot, especially when it comes to one of the world’s most famous heroes, Batman.
Ben Affleck, who donned the cape and cowl for four movies (including Zack Snyder’s Justice League) is set to reprise his role for one final time in The Flash, the film that looks set to enact many of the changes in the DCEU. Robert Pattinson is the Dark Knight in the character’s solo movies for the foreseeable future, and these titles are set in another universe from the rest of the DC heroes. Batman will still be in the universe of Aquaman and Wonder Woman in the form of Michael Keaton, who will also appear in The Flash and is set to be the Caped Crusader in the DCEU going forward.
With Robert Pattinson occupying the character’s solo outings, the specifics of Batman’s future in the main DCEU is yet to be revealed. It seems unlikely that Keaton will get another Bat-film focused on him as long as Pattinson remains in the role, meaning that he’s likely to be a reoccurring side character in upcoming projects. This is already the case in Batgirl, which is now in production and features Keaton as Batman in a supporting role opposite Leslie Grace as the title character.
Keaton might end up being a mentor to Grace’s character and the rest of the heroes in the DCEU, especially as he’s already had two solo films and is a Batman with more experience than any iteration of the character so far. If that’s the case, he could be the DC equivalent of Nick Fury, something that The Hollywood Reporter speculated at the time of Keaton’s casting in The Flash, in that he appears in several different titles in a supporting capacity and is a leader of sorts.
If that’s the case, it’s entirely possible that Keaton assembles this universe’s Justice League, which could consist of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Shazam. This would mirror Fury’s work in the MCU to unite the Avengers and bring them together for the Battle of New York in 2012. Ultimately, this would suggest that Warner Bros. are moving forward with the DC universe in a considerable way, something that seemed unlikely just a few years ago.
Images courtesy of DC and Warner Bros.