These Photos From The Set Of The Flash Movie Are Extremely Revealing
Marvel's isn't the only cinematic comic book universe with a multiverse to explore — and we've had hints and inklings that the DCEU was on its way to covering more from the first time we saw The Flash (Ezra Miller) cruise through time to warn Batman (Ben Affleck) during "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" of impending future dangers. With Zack Snyder's "Justice League" out in the world, we've seen one tragic way the DCEU world could end: Batman and the Joker (Jared Leto) teaming with the last vestiges of the Justice League fighting a losing battle on a Mad Max-esque world ruled by Darkseid.
However, there are many DC stories that could technically make up a multiverse to come, and they have existed for a long time. It wasn't so long ago that The CW's then-Arrowverse had their own Crisis on Infinite Earth stories, which not only connected that world to the classic 1989 Michael Keaton "Batman," but also connected its Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) with Ezra Miller's DCEU incarnation when the pair briefly met up.
Taking the proverbial baton from everything we've talked about so far is the upcoming "The Flash" movie, which seems set to both look back to those halcyon Tim Burton "Batman" days, while also looking forward. As a matter of fact, the latest set photos from "The Flash" show off the Dark Knight — but which one?
The Bat signal is lit, but who is answering the call this time?
It looks like Batman has been spotted on the set of "The Flash" thanks to some photos from The Flash Film News — and not just Batman solo, but Batman on a banging incarnation of the Batcycle. The only catch is that the photos from set don't show his face. However, because the shoot took place in broad daylight and, like Batman, we also have keen detection skills, we can work out which version of Batman this is.
We're almost 100% certainly looking at the Ben Affleck incarnation of Batman. To be clear, the photos are not of Ben Affleck (last we checked he was chilling in St. Tropez with Jennifer Lopez for her birthday), but the suit in question has some tell-tale signs that let us know we're looking at the proverbial Batfleck.
The armor pattern, the body shape, and, most importantly, the design of the Bat cowl all match up specifically with the costume we've seen Affleck's Batman wear, beginning with "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." We'd heard Affleck was returning after the popularity of "Zack Snyder's Justice League," but this is the most concrete proof we've seen in the real world, even if it is a stunt double in these particular images.
Batfleck Returns, though likely not in these photos
These latest photos all but confirm the return of Batfleck to the DCEU, a development that is sure to please fans of Zack Snyder's unfinished five-film vision. While Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have been clear that they consider "Zack Snyder's Justice League" to be the final punctuation mark on that particular cinematic story, the characters — and many of the actors — from Snyder's trilogy carry on. The addition of Affleck's grizzled, Superman-skeptical version of the Dark Knight looking a lot like he does in "Justice League" opens the door for other elements from Snyder's canon to make their way into the next generation of DCEU films.
We may never return to the dark, post-apocalyptic world of the Knightmare, which appeared once again in the coda to "Zack Snyder's Justice League," but the deeper exploration of the multiverse and the continued presence of Affleck's Batman might allow certain loose ends from the trilogy beginning with "Man of Steel" to be tied up. Perhaps that's wishful thinking, but it would be a shame to let years of gritty worldbuilding go to waste.
One question that lingers is whether Affleck's Batman will be a major player in "The Flash," or whether his appearance will be some kind of quirk of The Flash's ability to fracture the bonds of space and time. Will Batman be central to the plot, or a mere passing cameo? And what other Batmen (Batmans?) might we see? Who wouldn't want to catch Keaton back on the big screen?
"The Flash" is currently slated for a November 4, 2022 theatrical release.