Michael Keaton’s turn as Batman is pretty much universally loved and his place is firmly cemented in Batman history.  Yes, you probably know that he recently reprised the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in last Summer’s THE FLASH, but you might have missed his Batman cameo at this year’s Oscars (CLICK HERE TO WATCH).  Anyway, he explained how the bit went down during a recent appearance on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE. Check it out below (starts at the 3:00 mark, but the entire interview is great!)…

 

An ascot is very “Bruce Wayne?” I’m sure the late/great Adam West would agree…

On a related note, Michael Keaton was asked if he thought his time in the cape and cowl has finally come to an end on the HAPPY, SAD, CONFUSED podcast…

 

It’s the time during this article that I go on a rant…

Before Discovery bought Warner Bros. and James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired as co-bosses of DC Studios, the plan was for Michael Keaton to become the Batman of the DC on film shared universe.  He was in BATGIRL which was infamously killed/shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery (Davis Zaslav) and a BATMAN BEYOND film — in which Keaton would be featured as the aged Bruce Wayne — was axed.

BS.

As I wrote here on BOF a while back, DC Studio’s ELSEWORLDS banner makes Keaton’s return as Batman possible…or at least, it should make it possible.  Isn’t projects like a one-off BATMAN BEYOND with Michael Keaton — or even an adaptation of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS — the purpose of having that banner?  Or, is it just temporary and destined to disappear once Todd Phillips and Matt Reeves are both finished with their JOKER and THE BATMAN films?

With WBD’s ill-advised jones for a shared DC on film world — now known as the DCU — I believe that the ELSWORLDS banner’s days are numbered, unfortunately.

Gotta have that shared universe THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD movie with Blue Batman, all of the Batman Family, and Gunn’s favorite, Bat-Mite.  It all MUST connect, you know. – Bill “Jett” Ramey

(Thanks to BOF’s Ryan Lower for the heads up on MK’s appearance on KIMMEL!)