‘The Flash’ director recalls Michael Keaton’s “emotional” return as Batman
The director for the upcoming DC superhero film The Flash has opened up about Michael Keaton revisiting his role of Batman.
Director Andy Muschietti described Keaton’s return to the role in a new interview with IGN. “When [Keaton] arrived to the set, the Batcave was already finished and it was lit and everything,” Muschietti said. “He stayed like this [eyes wide] for a while. I didn’t want to interrupt him. I just wanted for him to take it in. Who knows what was going on there? But something was going on there.”
“It was funny because at one point during the scene where we shot him in the full suit, he was like, ‘Can you take a picture? It’s for my grandson,’” Muschietti added. “It was one of those moments where he really showed something was inside that was very emotional.”
Keaton portrayed Batman in two films: 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns. The actor left the franchise after director Tim Burton decided not to continue with the series. Keaton was replaced by Val Kilmer for 1995’s Batman Forever. Keaton was previously set to reprise his role in the film Batgirl before Warner Brothers and DC Films announced that they would not be releasing the movie.
“It seemed like fun,” Keaton told Variety last year about being cast in The Flash. “I was curious what it would be like after this many years. Not so much me doing it — obviously, some of that — but I was just curious about it, weirdly, socially. This whole thing is gigantic. They have their entirely own world. So, I like to look at it as an outsider, thinking ‘Holy moly!’”
“The writing was actually really good. So I thought, why not?” Keaton added at the time. “It’s cool to drop in and I’m curious to see if I can pull it off.”
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