It’s looking possible that the Batgirl movie Batman could actually be a returning Michael Keaton. The movie’s directors have confirmed in a new interview that Batman is in the Batgirl 2022 movie for HBO Max, but they also tease that the role of Batgirl’s mentor in the movie could be Michael Keaton — as opposed to the regular DCEU Batman Ben Affleck, last seen this year in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Will the Batgirl movie Batman be Michael Keaton?
Batman will definitely be in next year’s Batgirl movie, the directors have confirmed, and they strongly hint that he may be played by Michael Keaton. In a recent interview with Dutch website VRT NWS, Batgirl’s directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were asked about Batman’s role in their movie.
As translated by journalist Emre Kaya, the duo confirmed the Dark Knight would indeed be present in the film, after which they were asked who would be playing him, to which they only answer “THE Batman” — meaning the definitive Batman, as opposed to Robert Pattinson. The interviewer asked if DCEU Batman Ben Affleck would be returning, to which the directors replied “well, he’s A Batman.” They were then asked if it would be a previous Batman such as Michael Keaton, after which they said they didn’t want to “give too much away.”
The interviewer asks if Ben Affleck is returning. The directors answer with "Well, he's A Batman."
When asked if a previous Batman (Bale, Keaton etc.) will return, the directors say they're uncertain about if they can answer this question as it will give too much away.
— Emre Kaya (@Vullein) October 15, 2021
If Ben Affleck isn’t returning for Batgirl, and it seems highly unlikely that Val Kilmer, George Clooney, or Christian Bale would come back, then it would have to be Michael Keaton — who is already returning to play Batman next year in November’s The Flash movie. There have already been rumors about the movie recasting JK Simmons as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon’s father Commissioner Gordon, so Ben Affleck might not return either — and given the continued popularity of Michael Keaton’s Batman he might be the best bet. With DC Fandome tomorrow, however, fans may find out sooner rather than later.