What Keaton In The Flash Movie Means For Robert Pattinson’s Batman

Michael Keaton returns as Batman in the first trailer for The Flash, but what does this mean for Robert Pattinson Batman and the Matt Reeves trilogy?

DC Studios and Warner Bros. have released the first official trailer for The Flash, featuring the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman which may cause confusion over the status of Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. As seen in 2022’s The Batman from director Matt Reeves, Pattinson stars as a younger Bruce Wayne who’s already begun to build his legend in Gotham City. However, The Flash will see Keaton returning as the Dark Knight after 31 years, his last appearance being 1992’s Batman Returns from director Tim Burton.

In The Flash movie’s Super Bowl 2023 trailer, Keaton’s Batman confirms that he is indeed Batman, agreeing to help two versions of Barry Allen whose worlds have seemingly collided, resulting in massive alterations to reality. Featuring his iconic Batcave and Batmobile, the levels of nostalgia are high with this classic Batman having come back to the big screen after so long:

Although seeing Keaton’s Batman gliding and fighting like he never has before is very exciting, it’s understandable if this new trailer generates confusion for some viewers when it comes to Pattinson’s Batman and whether he’s been replaced.

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Keaton Is The Flash’s Batman, But That Doesn’t Mean He Is Replacing Pattinson

Thankfully, fans of Pattinson’s Batman can rest easy knowing that he hasn’t been replaced by Keaton’s Caped Crusader. Instead, the world of The Batman created by Matt Reeves is still intact as its own separate universe. Likewise, the return of Keaton’s Batman is more than likely the result of Barry Allen racing through the multiverse which has somehow altered his universe and timeline. This also explains why Ben Affleck’s Batman is also seen in The Flash trailer, the primary Dark Knight Barry is most familiar with.

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