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Michael Keaton’s Batman Fights General Zod in New “The Flash” Teaser

May 9, 2023
By The Credits

“You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts.” This is one of the most iconic lines from Michael Keaton’s time playing Batman, which began way back when with Tim Burton’s iconic 1989 film Batman and continued in Burton’s 1992 sequel Batman Returns. Keaton was on top of the world at the time, so it was surprising when he turned in his cape and cowl and was seemingly done with the role after those two films. We know now, of course, that Keaton still fits into the Batsuit—he returns as Gotham’s greatest hero in director Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, and a new TV spot was focused solely on him.

Let’s have a look at Keaton in fine form as Batman here:

The Flash is, of course, centered on its titular speedy superhero, Barry Allen, played by Ezra Miller. The reason for Keaton’s return as Batman has to do with Barry’s desperate attempt to solve a problem Bruce Wayne never could—bring back his parents, who he tragically lost. Unlike Bruce, Barry actually has a path to pull this off, but it comes at a great cost; by speeding back through time to change past events, Barry can solve his most pressing problem, but he’ll cause a million more in the process.

The Flash explores this most fundamental of all time-travel conundrums, explored in films from Back to the Future to Avengers: Endgame; you can’t change the past without altering the future. This is why in the above clip, you have Keaton’s Batman fighting Michael Shannon’s General Zod, despite the fact that Zod was killed by none other than Superman in Zack Snyder’s 2013 film Man of Steel—in the universe that Barry has sped into, Zod’s alive and essentially unbeatable because there are no metahumans to stop him. That means no Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, etcetera. This is why Barry recruits Keaton’s older, very retired Batman to help him save the world. Batman is many things, but he’s not a metahuman. Luckily they’ll get major help from a very special someone—Sasah Calle’s Supergirl.

Joining Miller, Keaton, Shannon, and Calle are Ben Affleck (as the Batman of his universe), Ron Livingston as Barry’s father, Henry Allen, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, and Antje Traue as Faora-Ui.

The Flash speeds into theaters on June 16:

For more on The Flash, check out these stories:

First “The Flash” Reactions From CinemaCon: One of The Greatest Superhero Films of All Time

Epic New “The Flash” Trailer Reveals Michael Keaton’s Batman Getting Nuts

Tom Cruise Loved “The Flash” So Much He Called Director Andy Muschietti

Michael Shannon’s Return as General Zod in “The Flash” Surprised…Michael Shannon

Featured image: Michael Keaton returns as Batman in “The Flash.” Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

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The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.