The Flash director Andy Muschietti recently detailed that Michael Keaton’s Batman in the upcoming film “goes against the expectation of the audience.”
In an interview with Fandango, Erik Davis asked both Andy Muschietti and his wife Barbara, “Speaking of the Batman stuff and Michael Keaton is the Batman I grew up with. He’s my Batman. In terms of getting Michael Keaton into this film did he have any specific requests? Did he say, ‘Yeah, I’ll play Batman for you, but X, Y, or Z has to happen?'”
Andy Mucshietti responded, “He didn’t have to. From the beginning I was very, very clear about my intention to open the conversation to his thoughts and ideas and we did. And we did talk a lot.”
“And the main focus of that conversation is how do we find Bruce Wayne 30 years after the last time the audience saw him. So that was the matter of most of the conversations,” he explained.
Muschietti then revealed, “And we finally agreed on what it is. I really wanted a Bruce Wayne that goes against the expectations of the audience. In my opinion, he shouldn’t be the same way that we saw him for the last time.”
“And also, for me, it was very important to provide a possibility for transformation during our movie,” he elaborated. “And that’s why I advocated and finally agreed with Michael that we should find Bruce the way we find him.”
Muschietti was then asked if he thought about other actors who played Batman. He responded, “The idea of Batman as such an integral part of this story is something that started growing up and becoming stronger and stronger as we worked with Christina Hodson on the story. I think Batman became stronger as an idea.”
“And also the idea of portraying Affleck’s Batman as a strong companion, as a strong ally, and father figure of Barry at the beginning of the movie just to set up thing and then subvert them with the operation of the other Batman,” he added.
Barbara Muschietti then added, “But Keaton was essential. We could not have made this movie without him. It’s a universe that is around his Batman.”
The Flash’s official description states, “Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to.”
It adds, “That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?”
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The film features Ezra Miller as The Flash, Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Antje Traue as Faora-Ul, and Michael Keaton as Batman.
It arrives in theaters on June 16 in North American and June 14 internationally.
What do you make of Muschietti’s comments about subverting audience expectations with Michael Keaton’s Batman?
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