While production for The Batman continues to move along over in the UK, another former bat took his chance to address strong rumors linking him for a potential cameo in the very distinct DC Extended Universe. The bit came when Michael Keaton sat down for a remote interview during last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, where the host couldn’t pass on the opportunity to press the actor on the possibility of him making an appearance in The Flash.
Keaton mainly swung by to promote Netflix’s Trial of the Chicago 7, which is already garnering potential Oscar buzz, but Kimmel, a noted comic book fan, dived right in asking him point blank if alongside Ben Affleck, he and all the other Batmen could pay a visit to Barry Allen.
However, contrary to prior reports that had Keaton pinned for a comeback in the world of Bruce Wayne, the actor was rather coy about it, instead stating they “We’re having discussions, as they say. We’re talking about it. We’ll see if it happens.”
The interview then strays off to the more comical side of things, with Kimmel asking the actor his opinion on which other Batmen could join him and Affleck for a Batman meetup, as well as his take on who has been the most iconic man yet to wear the superhero’s signature cape and cowl.
On that particular subject, Keaton was not shy about declaring himself the best Batman to date, above “all 127 of them”, and jokingly say that he still puts on a batsuit every now and then to walk around the neighborhood to feel a little better about everything. Regardless of how highly debated the best Batman title is for fans, Keaton can at least brag about being the only Bruce Wayne to have won an Academy Award in the Best Actor category, which came in 2014 when he played a completely different kind of superhero role in Birdman.
If Keaton’s appearance in The Flash does end up materializing, then the next part would be to figure out just exactly what kind of character he would be playing. Previous speculation hinted at the possibility of him acting as a Nick Fury type of figure for the Justice League’s heroes, nevertheless, until Keaton’s return to the DC universe is confirmed, fans would do well to to rejoice even on what a small cameo from the first big screen bat would mean for the franchise as a whole.
The Flash is currently under production and scheduled for release on November 4, 2022.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live