Michael Keaton has been cast as Batman once again in the upcoming Batgirl movie. The move has received mixed reactions, but Kevin Smith says it’s a great thing to see more of that classic Batman on screen.
The “Michael Keaton returning as Batman” is a recent article from Kevin Smith. In the article, he defends Michael Keaton’s decision to return as Batman in the upcoming Batgirl movie.
Most of the internet is ecstatic with Michael Keaton’s revelation that he would reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the next Batgirl film, but there are some outspoken critics. Fans of Zack Snyder’s Snyderverse want to see more of Ben Affleck’s Batman, and think Warner Bros. chose nostalgia above art by going with Keaton. Kevin Smith, a filmmaker and a geek legend, disagrees. Smith, a longtime friend of Affleck’s, says he believes the actor when he says he no longer wants to portray Batman and applauds the choice to replace him with someone who has a proven track record as the Dark Knight.
Affleck had agreed to write and direct a Batman film, but the project fell through for a number of reasons, and he finally opted to leave the role after Justice League. He, like Keaton, will reprise his role as Batman in the multiverse-hopping film version of The Flash, although there have long been suspicions that Keaton would stay in the shared DC Films world and act as a mentor figure to younger heroes like Batgirl towards the conclusion of the film. Those speculations seem to be confirmed by the casting notification.
Smith added, “I’m a great admirer of Michael Keaton as Batman.” “I was also a great admirer of Ben Affleck as Batman, but as we just saw in an interview, Ben recently said, “I’m not going to do IP movies again.” Ben has made it plain for many years that he is no longer interested in portraying Batman. Not that he’s done with Warner Bros.; he’s done with them. So they couldn’t cast Ben as Batman in this new Batgirl film, and you’re already doing Michael Keaton as Batman in Flash…it sounds reasonable. I believed Michael Keaton was as popular among all generations as he is among mine, but some people on Twitter were furious about it — but they were furious at the wrong guy. This isn’t an instance of Warner Bros. ripping off the public. The guy they’d want to keep portraying Batman doesn’t seem to be interested in doing so, and has made that obvious for quite some time. So who else are you going to call in place of Ben? Let’s start with a brand-new Batman, shall we? Obviously, Matt Reeves is playing Batman in a totally different way than the DCEU movies, so you won’t be able to see him. So it’s understandable. If you’re going to make this Batman Beyond version of Batgirl, where she’s like Terry McGinnis in training and he’s the grizzled old vet or whatever, you’ll need a veteran, an older gentleman. Because that was my Batman, that was our Batman, I sign it. I mean, Adam West was my first Batman, but Michael Keaton was a fantastic Batman, and I think it’s strange to see people on Twitter chastising him for it.”
You can see the whole video here, with Smith’s Batman remarks coming about 12 minutes in. If you’ve managed to avoid spoilers so far, you’re in for a treat in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Leslie Grace will play the eponymous red-haired heroine in the film, which will also include J.K. Simmons reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon. Brendan Fraser has also been set to star as the Batman villain Firefly. On the cast list is actor Jacob Scipio, who previously collaborated with filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah on Bad Boys For Life.
Christina Hodson wrote the Batgirl screenplay, as well as Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and the impending The Flash film.
Grace said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, “She’s someone who’s been underestimated by even her own father, and being the youngest kid, sometimes you’re insulated from all of the tough stuff of life, and she’s so eager to prove to herself and to everyone else that there’s some things that she can handle.” “So this voyage will undoubtedly teach me a lot of that. I feel like I’m on a never-ending quest to prove to myself what boundaries I can shatter, what limitations I can set for myself, and I’m happy to channel some of that excitement, desire, and almost stubbornness into Barbara’s character.”
In late 2022 or early 2023, HBO Max is planned to premiere Batgirl.
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