Michael Keaton Will Return as Batman (Again!) in HBO Max Batgirl Film

Michael Keaton will return to the role of Batman not just in the upcoming movie The Flash, but also in the HBO Max Film Batgirl.

News was shared on The Hollywood Reporter that Keaton was reprising his role, which he originated in the groundbreaking, for its time (and honestly still now), ’89 Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns (which is a Christmas movie).

I am so excited that Michael Keaton has been embracing his place in comic book history and leaning more into it. Ever since Birdman, it feels as if Keaton has made peace with the fact that he is forever tied to Batman. Playing the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming shows that he still has it to lead an action role. For many people (myself included), he is Batman in the live-action world, and it will feel good to see him return in two different projects.

Especially since his Batman was dark, but also had a fun playful element that makes him a flexible part of an ensemble not just a standalone character. It is a little bit harder to see Christian Bale’s incarnation of Batman being in a Batmanverse-style teamup.

Some have speculated that this is setting up his older-Batman to be a mentor type in the reboot of DC movies that is coming following The Flash, but we shall see. It is way too early to speculate, but I’d be game for him to go full Old Man Bruce and bring in Terry McGinnis or Dick Grayson to be the new Batman.

Leslie Grace is set to star as Barbara Gordon, and J.K. Simmons will reprise his role as Commissioner Gordon from Justice League. Brendan Fraser will also be in the film in an as yet unknown role.

With Leslie Grace as Batgirl and Sasha Calle as Supergirl, the next generation of DC super heroines are both Latina! That is exciting and a good investment on the part of DC, considering that the Latino/x/e market is one of the biggest.

People have been wanting more Latino superheroes to join the ranks of Miles Morales and America Chavez, the latter of whom will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel.

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Warner Bros.)

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