It took three decades for Keaton to suit up again as the Dark Knight. He may not have been the star of The Flash, but he certainly stole every one of his scenes. Besides the nostalgia from seeing the 1989 costume, Batmobile, Batcave, and Batwing, Keaton brought an undeniable magic to the film. If the Danny Elman-composed ‘89 theme didn’t give you chills, can you call yourself a fan?
Director Andy Muschietti showcased an aging Batman proving to himself that he’s still the same ass-kicking Caped Crusader at any age. Audiences are treated to some great action sequences and a redemption tale of sorts that will leave you begging for Keaton to return to the DCU. While the events of The Flash left that a possibility, it’s unlikely we will see the actor don the cape and cowl again. However, let’s play a little fantasy casting.
For argument’s sake, what if Keaton agreed to play Batman for one last movie?
Hands down, he would be perfect to star in a live-action The Dark Knight Returns.
Many fans will argue that his turns as the Caped Crusader in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns establish him as the quintessential Batman actor. For those fans, seeing him reprise the role for The Flash is worth the price of admission. Obviously, Keaton didn’t do his own stunts, and he benefited from a costume with ample padding. It was all so well done that it didn’t matter, and he lit up the screen perfectly. As an audience, it’s easy to believe that he can still do it, even if only for a couple of hours.
With a 71-year-old Keaton under the cowl, now is the time to bring TDKR to life. Frank Miller’s opus helped rewrite the rules for what comic books could be. After his legendary run on Daredevil, the famed creator reinvented Batman in the mid-1980s.
Shrugging off the campy tales of the Comics Code Authority era, Miller presented an aging Bruce Wayne who takes up the cape and cowl after several years absence. Between battling the Mutant gang and proving that a mere mortal could defeat Superman, it’s one of the greatest comics ever written and helped redefine what a Batman story could be.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice gave us a tease of what a TDKR adaptation could be.
Although far from a perfect movie, BVS and Ben Affleck gave audiences one of the best Batman stories to be captured on camera. Put Keaton in the role, bring back Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, maybe bring Henry Cavill or Brandon Routh aboard as the Man of Steel one more time, and you have the pieces for an absolute classic Batman film. If this were the final superhero flick for Keaton, then he would most definitely go out on top.
James Gunn has said that several upcoming DCU projects will exist outside the main timeline as Elseworld entries. That makes a TDKR adaptation a possibility. Whether or not that is even on the table, only Gunn and Peter Safran know for sure. In the meantime, a man can dream.
