The Flash movie features two Batmen – Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton – which makes sense given Barry Allen’s history with Bruce Wayne in the DCEU. While DC is set to have two different Batman movie series in the upcoming years with The Batman Part II and The Brave and the Bold, The Flash’s two Batmen hs a simpler explanation. The Flash movie deals with time travel and the multiverse, allowing the movie to incorporate Michael Keaton’s Batman from the Tim Burton films’ continuity despite taking place in the DCEU. More than Batman nostalgia, Keaton’s Batman in The Flash continues the DCEU’s Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne connection.
So far, Ben Affleck’s Batman is the only Justice League member confirmed to appear in The Flash. Although not much is known about The Flash’s movie story, the upcoming DC film is expected to take place mostly in a different timeline or universe from the DCEU. That is why The Flash trailer sees Barry interacting with a different Batman and a different Kryptonian from the ones he knew, plus why General Zod returns in The Flash. Time travel and multiverse aside, The Flash has the unique opportunity to better develop Barry Allen’s character through its two versions of Batman.
Batman & Flash’s History In The DCEU Explained
Batman and Flash have a strong connection in the DCEU. Though Barry Allen only meets Bruce Wayne in Justice League, the fifth entry in the original DCEU that began with Man of Steel, the Flash’s first interaction with Batman happened in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. That seemly contradiction can be explained with time travel, as the idea was for Snyder’s Justice League sequels to be concluded with Barry going back in time to prevent Lois Lane from dying at the hands of Darkseid. The Flash was one of the few surviving members of the Justice League in the Kngithmare timeline, and his time travel powers would’ve given Batman a second chance.
That is why, in Batman v Superman, Barry appears out of nowhere and tries to warn Batman about Superman and Lois Lane. However, the Flash was too soon – Ben Affleck’s Batman had not even formed the Justice League at that point. This created an interesting scenario in which, by the time Batman and the Flash actually met in Justice League, Bruce was already familiar with Barry’s powers and suit. Batman was not fully sure of how the Flash’s powers worked, but he could tell it was the same person who warned him about Superman at the Batcave. For that reason, Bruce Wayne was very protective of the Flash in Justice League.
In addition, the DCEU’s Flash was younger than the rest of the Justice League. Batman historically works well with sidekicks, and in the DCEU, Bruce Wayne lost a Robin at some point. Batman v Superman shows Batman at his lowest following Robin’s death at the hands of the Joker, but Justice League saw a version of Bruce Wayne who had restored his faith in others. That is why Batman was ready to guide another hero again; this time, it was the Flash. The idea was for Bruce to even give Barry a new suit in Justice League, but that did not make it into the film
Why Ben Affleck’s Batman Had To Return In The Flash
Given the bond Bruce and Barry created in Justice League, the Flash’s first solo movie in the DCEU needed Ben Affleck’s Batman. It makes sense for the Justice League heroes to appear in the solo films, as it answers the “where was the Justice League when this or that was happening” question. In addition, Batman is essentially the Flash’s mentor in the DCEU. Although this Bruce and Barry dynamic is not something from the comics, it works within the DCEU. Bruce Wayne has been fighting crime for decades, while Barry Allen has just become the Flash. As a comparison, Green Arrow was the Flash’s mentor in the Arrowverse.
What exactly The Flash movie will cause to the DCEU timeline or if it will connect to the new DC Universe by James Gunn and Peter Safran is difficult to say. Still, The Flash can already be considered a closing chapter of the original DCEU franchise. Ben Affleck, for example, had initially confirmed that The Flash would be his final Batman appearance. While a Ben Affleck Batman appearance in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was originally reported, Affleck’s Batman cameo in Aquaman 2 is by no means a certainty. With DC Studios’ new Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, in the works, The Flash may be concluding Affleck’s Batman run.
How Michael Keaton’s Batman Fit Into The DCEU’s Flash Story
The Flash is not a direct Flashpoint adaptation, but it still draws a lot from the 2011 comic book arc that rebooted DC Comics. In that story, Barry has to team up with a completely different Batman from the one he knows – Thomas Wayne rather than Bruce Wayne. In The Flash movie, it is Michael Keaton’s Bruce who fulfills the role of an alternate Batman. Audiences may be familiar with Keaton’s Bruce Wayne from the Tim Burton Batman movies, but the DCEU’s Barry is not. Barry Allen has a history with a particular Batman, not Keaton’s, which sets up a fun dynamic between them.
Multiverse doppelgangers are usually similar in many ways when it comes to the DC multiverse, and the same applies to Batman. Keaton’s Batman is very different from Affleck’s, but they are both versions of Bruce Wayne. Therefore, it will be interesting to see the interactions between the DCEU’s Barry Allen and the Burtonverse Batman, as Barry sort of knows what to expect from Bruce Wayne. Bruce and Barry got along fast in the DCEU, which might not necessarily happen in this alternate universe. The Flash can also serve as a bridge between Affleck’s Batman and Keaton’s Batman, with the latter learning of this different Bruce that Barry Allen knows.
Why Batman & Flash Are A Great Dynamic Duo
Bruce Wayne as Barry Allen’s superhero mentor may be a DCEU character dynamic, but Batman and the Flash do have a strong bond in DC Comics lore. Both Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen became orphans when they were still kids after a tragedy, something that led both of them to become detectives and superheroes in the future. The Justice League is usually formed by demigods, aliens, Mother Box-powered cyborgs, and space rangers who have access to the knowledge of the Guardians of the Universe. As such, Batman and the Flash are among the few human members of the team. Obviously, the Flash has superpowers, whereas Batman does not.
The events of the Flashpoint reboot, which continue to be revisited in DC Comics, made the connection between Barry and Bruce even more important for DC. Flashpoint started with Barry Allen trying to prevent his mother from dying, which is something Bruce Wayne wishes he could do. The Flash and Batman were molded by the same experiences, yet Barry actually had the power to at least try to change it. The Flash movie trailer sees Barry and Bruce discussing time travel, which may set up an emotional moment between the Flash and Batman. Bruce knows what Barry is going through, but Batman also knows better than to mess with the timeline.
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