Michael Keaton’s New ‘Batman’ Sequel Has Finally Arrived

Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Marvel heroes such as The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor don’t even compare. The Dark Knight has been around longer than we can remember, and he’ll be a huge part of pop culture for the rest of time. As such, we can expect many more iterations over the years.

We can also expect several more actors to take on the role. Several stars have already donned the cape and cowl, from Adam West to Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer to George Clooney, Christian Bale to Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson to whoever will end up playing the Gotham crime-fighter in the upcoming DC reboot The Brave and the Bold (TBA).

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But it’s fair to say that the most beloved big-screen version of the Caped Crusader is Michael Keaton, who portrayed the character in the two films by director Tim Burton, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), and more recently in the DC Multiverse movie, The Flash (2023), which also features Ben Affleck’s version of the Dark Knight.

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Keaton, 72, also reprised his role in the defunct Batgirl film, which was scrapped by Warner Bros. last year. The film would have seen him team up with Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, played by Leslie Grace. It remains to be seen whether we’ll ever see the movie in some shape or form, but at the moment, it’s looking incredibly unlikely.

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While Keaton’s two Gotham outings are no longer widely considered the best Batman movies (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy tends to get most of the praise these days, and understandably so), they’re still beloved by many fans and are easily the most nostalgic entries in the wider franchise, which, to date, has churned out nine solo Batman movies, along with crossover movies such as Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021).

Fans had been waiting for over 30 years to see Michael Keaton return to the Batcave and slip back into his iconic Batsuit, and though they got to see just that in The Flash, unfortunately, the film isn’t all that great, even if Keaton’s reprisal is one of its very few saving graces.

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Is The Flash Batman the same one from Batman (1989) and Batman Returns?

Talks of a third Michael Keaton Batman movie have done the rounds ever since The Flash hit theaters, and though it’s unlikely to happen given the fact that the DC Universe is being rebooted, starting with Superman: Legacy (2025), which will be followed by the Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold, the beloved actor has already returned.

The Flash may have canonized several non-DCU movies and television shows, making it a sequel of sorts to Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, but as the film is Multiverse-focused, it’s hard to tell whether the version of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Michael Keaton) we meet in the film is the same one from those two Tim Burton-directed installments.

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However, fans wishing for an official, canonical follow-up to Keaton’s cinematic outings have already had their wish answered — many just haven’t realized it yet. An ongoing comic book series titled Batman ’89 (2021), which first hit shelves in 2021, sees the return of Michael Keaton’s version of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

It’s also worth mentioning that there’s a new comic book series titled Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain (2023), the first issue of which was released on November 7. In the same way, Batman ’89 follows the two Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman movies, Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain follows the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies, Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

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However, unlike the new Superman comic book, Batman ’89 ignores the two Joel Schumacher Batman sequels, Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997), whose canonicity has always been questioned by fans, not necessarily because of the recasting of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively) — after all, Superman Returns (2007), which stars Brandon Routh as the titular Kryptonian, is an official sequel to the previous four Superman films — but due to their quasi-futuristic aesthetic and more family-friendly tone, as opposed to the semi-gothic and gritty nature of Burton’s predecessors.

But the Batman ’89 comic book series does more than just follow on from the stories told in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns — they feature the likenesses of actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer (Selina Kyle/Catwoman) and Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman).

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This makes the series all the more immersive for fans, and, of course, as a result, they feel far more in line with Tim Burton’s two crime-fighting flicks than the Joel Schumacher ones (whether you’re a fan of those last two films or not).

The first series, Batman ’89: Shadows, consists of six issues and was released in 2021. Now, the first issue in a second series titled Batman ’89: Echoes has finally arrived, having hit shelves on November 28.

Let’s take a deeper look at this thrilling expansion of the “Burtonverse.”

Batman ’89 Synopsis

What universe does Batman ’89 take place in?

Batman ’89 takes place in the Burtonverse, which was established in the two Tim Burton Batman films. But before we jump to the new series, it’s worth catching up on the first one. We won’t spoil anything, though; you’ll probably want to start collecting them after reading!

Batman ’89 Series 1 Issues 1 — 6

Per DC.com, here’s the official synopsis for Batman ’89 Series 1 issues 1 — 6:

Step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal Batman movies! Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director.

Gotham becomes torn in two as citizens dressed as Batman and The Joker duke it out in the streets.

As D.A. Harvey Dent tries to keep the city together, he targets the one problem tearing it apart: Batman! But what happens next has dark ramifications for not just the Dark Knight, but Harvey Dent himself.

Bruce Wayne embarks on a crusade to better Gotham as both himself and the Batman, but a young new hero on the scene stands in his way, claiming his mission is shortsighted. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent starts down a path leading to nothing but ruin.

The fate of Gotham hangs in the balance as these two sides of the same coin do battle. But when the coin finally flips, on which side will it fall? Collects Batman ’89 #1-6.

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Batman ’89: Echoes #1

Batman ’89: Echoes is the latest series in the Burtonverse and introduces even more characters previously only seen in unrelated Batman movies, such as Harley Quinn.

Per DC.com, here’s the official synopsis for Batman ’89: Echoes #1:

You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts!

After Harvey Dent’s crusade against Gotham and Batman, the Caped Crusader has disappeared without a trace.

In his place, ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to root out crime.

As innocents get hurt, the question on everyone’s mind is the same: Where is Batman? Sam Hamm, screenwriter of the 1989 Batman movie, and Joe Quinones reunite for another tale in Gotham!

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Batman ’89 Characters

Credit: DC / Warner Bros.

Batman ’89 completely de-canonizes the two films by Joel Schumacher by giving us new Burtonverse versions of characters such as Drake Winston/Robin instead of the Dick Grayson version played by Chris O’Donnell in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, and Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, who was played by Alicia Silverstone in the latter film.

The series also restores Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent/Two-Face from the Burtonverse and not the version played by Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever. We’re also reunited with Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Michael Gough’s Alfred Pennyworth, The Joker’s girlfriend Alicia Hunt (with Jerry Hall’s likeness), Pat Hingle’s Commissioner James Gordon, and, of course, Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The series also features characters from the wider Batman franchise, including Harvey Bullock, Carmine Falcone, Harley Quinn (this time known as Dr. Q/Dr. Harleen Quinzel), Dr. Jonathan Crane/the Scarecrow, and Dr. Hugo Strange.

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Batman ’89 Canonicity

Is Batman ’89 connected to Batman Forever and Batman and Robin?

Batman ’89 writer Sam Hamm, who also wrote the screenplay for Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, previously confirmed that Joel Schumacher’s two films, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, take place in “a diverging timeline” and are therefore not connected to the two Tim Burton films or the Batman ’89 comics.

Is the Batman ’89 comic canon to The Flash?

We’re given a similar explanation from Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) in The Flash, who tells the two versions of Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) that time works like “strands of spaghetti” and that if you mess with it, you end up with the Multiverse, adding that “some strands run almost parallel” but that “there will be inevitable intersections” and “others that are just wildly divergent,” ultimately concluding that the whole thing is “a hot mess.

Bruce is, of course, referring to the DC Multiverse, but it’s obvious that this is also the filmmakers’ way of letting the audience know that films such as Batman Forever and Batman and Robin aren’t necessarily canon — they’re “divergent,” which would explain why they look and feel very different, and why they feature several different actors. This also means that the two Joel Schumacher films aren’t even connected to each other.

Another reference to diverging timelines comes as a surprise cameo from George Clooney, who reprises his role as Bruce Wayne at the end of the film.

It’s worth pointing out that The Flash ignores the events of Batman ’89, assuming that the Michael Keaton Batman we see in the film is indeed the one from the Burtonverse.

Check out the scene from The Flash titled “Spaghetti Theory” below, per Warner Bros.:

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Batman ’89 Release Date

Batman ’89: Shadows issues 1 — 6 and Batman ’89: Echoes #1 are on sale now. There are no release dates for the next five issues.

If you want to see Michael Keaton in live action, check out The Flash, which is now available to watch at home. Check out the trailer below, per Warner Bros.:

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Per Wikipedia, here’s the synopsis for the film:

Barry Allen/The Flash travels back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, which traps him in an alternate reality without metahumans. He enlists the help of Batman and the Kryptonian castaway Supergirl from alternate realities in order to save this world from the restored General Zod and return to his universe.

The Flash stars Ezra Miller (Barry Allen/The Flash), Sasha Calle (Kara Zor-El/Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Michael Keaton (Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Ben Affleck (Bruce Wayne/Batman).

Have you read Batman ’89 yet? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!