Exclusive: Michael Keaton Solo Batman Project In Development
We've exclusively learned that Warner Bros is developing a solo Batman movie for Michael Keaton.
Update November 2022: While there were plans for a Batman solo movie with Michael Keaton, these did not go through because of the DC Universe shift under James Gunn.
DC just came off a big win with The Suicide Squad. The movie has great ratings and has fans even more excited to see what the studio is going to do for their next project. Those upcoming projects have been pretty big ideas, too, with a growing list of HBO Max developments and ever-bigger promises for movies like The Flash, where we’ll again be seeing Michael Keaton reprise his role as Batman. After so many decades and many other Batmans in the intervening years, this came as a big surprise. An even bigger surprise has been that The Flash isn’t going to be his only new project in the role.
Giant Freakin Robot has now exclusively learned from one of our trusted and proven inside sources that Warner Bros is developing a solo Batman project for Michael Keaton. At this point, the solo project is in development, meaning it’s in the early stages and could still be a ways off yet. Knowing that it’s coming is a very big deal though since it’s been unclear for many just how central Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne is going to be in the DC Extended Universe moving forward.
In addition to this solo movie for Michael Keaton, we’ve also learned that the actor has a multi-picture deal with several appearances in his future. We were unable to learn where the solo Batman project will fall in his schedule. It seems most likely that we’ll be seeing movies like Batgirl on HBO Max first, especially since that project is expected to stream in 2022. He’s already filmed his part for The Flash, which is currently expected to release in theaters on November 4, 2022. By the time 2023 comes around, Michael Keaton’s Batman will firmly be established in the DC Extended Universe, making way for this new solo project with audiences, and hopefully setting up what we’ll be seeing in the solo movie.
With so many Batman appearances in his future, it isn’t going to take long for Michael Keaton to get very sick of being asked in interviews about what it means to be playing an older Bruce Wayne. It’s an obvious curiosity at this point, and while that’s going to certainly irritate the 70-year-old actor, it’s also one of the more interesting aspects of all these Batman movies he’s working on.
Audiences have seen so many superhero movies by now, and a lot of Batmans have been among them. Most often, that character is shown on-screen as just starting out his career as the Dark Knight. With Michael Keaton taking up the role again, we’re going to get to see what Batman is doing with his life in his 70s. While we were unable to learn the story of the solo project, it’s likely going to include a closer look at how a 70-year-old Bruce Wayne is protecting Gotham, likely with some new strategies in place, an updated Batmobile, and probably some aches and pains that weren’t there in 1989.
Knowing that the solo Michael Keaton movie is coming makes his appearance in The Flash all the more exciting since it’s going to be setting up all the Batman appearances for the actor to come. It’s going to be interesting to see how his Bruce Wayne develops over these projects, and what story they’ll decide to tell for the solo movie to come.
