Summary
- The Flash movie missed a big opportunity to have multiple versions of Batman crossing paths, which would have been more memorable than the VFX cameos.
- The poster by Mr. Lee showcases a multiverse adventure with various Batman actors, including Keaton, Affleck, Pattinson, Kilmer, and Clooney.
- The Flash movie’s failure to bring together Keaton and Affleck’s Batman characters is a disappointment, and it is unlikely that DC will explore the multiverse on the big screen for a while.
Several live-action versions of Batman unite in a Spider-Verse-style DC fan art poster, showing what it would look like if Bruce Wayne met his doppelgangers. The multiverse is continuing to be one of the most used concepts in the superhero movie and TV genre. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in the midst of The Multiverse Saga, while The Flash movie explored alternative realities this summer for the DCEU.
One of the crucial players in The Flash was the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman, whose presence was caused by Barry Allen’s time-travel, with Ben Affleck’s version being replaced in this new universe. For Keaton, The Flash became the first (and possibly last) time he reprised the role after starring in Tim Burton’s Batman movies.
Mr. Lee recently shared artwork of the Caped Crusader getting his own multiverse adventure by joining forces with several versions of himself. The poster features Keaton, Affleck, as well as Robert Pattinson, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney’s respective versions of the DC icon.
How The Flash Movie Wasted Their Batman Crossover Opportunity
As amazing as Mr. Lee’s artwork is, it highlights one of The Flash’s biggest missed opportunities. While audience members have seen characters like Superman meet alternative versions of himself and different Scarlet Speedsters coming together through the Arrowverse, Batman has never gotten that type of story. Even though The Flash is ultimately a story about Barry Allen, the DCEU movie still managed to work in not one but three Batman actors.
With The Flash likely being the last time Affleck plays Batman, this would have been the golden opportunity for his character to cross paths with another version of himself, especially with someone as iconic as Keaton. Having Keaton and Affleck share the screen would have likely also had a bigger impact than the controversial VFX cameos and given two generations of DC audiences something way more memorable. The fact that The Flash couldn’t pull that off but instead worked in a cameo by Clooney, who is universally the least favored Batman in live-action, just makes the film a bigger disappointment.
Now that DC Studios is up and running while developing their new DC Universe, time will tell if there will be another multiverse opportunity like this in James Gunn’s plans. Even though Gunn has plans for Batman in the DC Universe, the primary focus will be to make him work in the new franchise. At this point, it feels safe to say that The Flash is likely the last time in a long while that DC explores the multiverse on the big screen.
