How The Flash Director Convinced Michael Keaton to Return as Batman 30 Years Later

10/18/2021 05:41 pm EDT

Over 30 years after first appearing as Batman, Michael Keaton is returning as the Caped Crusader in 2022. The actor has been filming alongside Ezra Miller and others during principal photography for The Flash, and even found himself in a teaser for the film released over the weekend at DC FanDome. As it turns out, Keaton didn't need much convincing from Flash director Andy Muschietti.

"I think Keaton was honored to come to do this character again. But mainly we sent him a great script, and that is probably the thing that got him interested," the filmmaker said during a panel during DC FanDome China. "It's more complex than this...we gave him a great script and I promised him great direction. And that was about it."

Sunday afternoon, Muschietti revealed principal photography on the film wrapped. After helming the wildly successful It reboots, Muschietti picked up the director's chair, helming from a script by Christina Hodson.

"I think Andy's fantastic," Hodson shared with ComicBook.com back in 2020. "What I loved about IT, The first one, in particular, is that he can do scary, he can do big genre stuff, but he can also do real heart. He can give those characters real emotional depth. And that's something that I would love to see in Flash."

"What captivated me about The Flash is the human drama in it," Muschietti previously revealed. "The human feelings and emotions that play in the drama [of it]. It's going to be fun, too. I can't promise that there will be any horror [elements in it], really, but it's a beautiful human story."

Miller returns as the eponymous character and will appear alongside both Keaton and Ben Affleck as their respective Batman characters. Also set to star are Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Ron Livingston as Henry Allen, Maribel Verdu as Nora Allen, Ian Loh as a young Barry Allen, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Rudy Mancuso playing currently-unknown roles.

The Flash races into theaters on November 4, 2022. 

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