Ben Affleck To Join Michael Keaton In Reprising Batman Role For ‘Flash’ Movie, Director Says
Ben Affleck — who previously sported the cape and cowl in the iconic role of Batman over three films before ceding the part to Robert Pattinson — is officially set to return as DC Comics’ Caped Crusader. In speaking with Vanity Fair, Andy Muschietti, who is directing the upcoming Flash picture starring Ezra Miller, confirmed that the 48-year-old will appear in his film as the famed crime-fighter and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
Moreover, he stated that Affleck’s Batman will be “a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie.”
“The interaction and relationship between Barry [Allen, a.k.a. the Flash] and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before,” said Muschietti. “It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers…and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.”
The It and It: Chapter Two director further stated that he appreciates the collaboration with Affleck due to his significant experience on both sides of the camera.
Affleck and Miller previously portrayed their respective superheroes together in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as Justice League. Additionally, Affleck suited up for an uncredited appearance in Suicide Squad. After having originally been contracted to write, direct and star in his own Batman standalone feature, he elected to step down in early 2019 amid his battle with alcoholism.
As shared previously by The Inquisitr, Affleck isn’t the only Batman alum who fans have been expecting to make a return to the role in The Flash. Michael Keaton — who played the character in each of Tim Burton’s two Batman films in the late 1980s and early ’90s — is also slated to be involved in the project, as well as future film entries into the DC Extended Universe.
During his Vanity Fair interview, Muschietti said that Keaton’s iteration of the character would also have a substantial part to play in his film’s story.
The addition of multiple versions of the Batman character in his picture has been made possible by the fact that The Flash will serve as a big-screen adaptation of DC’s Flashpoint series. The 2011 comic book crossover event played out over multiple titles and told the story of the Flash/Allen as he becomes aware that he is in an altered timeline. He subsequently transcends time and space in an effort to restore the proper timeline.
