Michael Keaton to reprise role as the Dark Knight in ‘Batgirl’ - report
Michael Keaton is reportedly joining DC’s upcoming superhero film, Batgirl.
According to a report by Deadline, Keaton is set to reprise his role as the Dark Knight in the upcoming HBO Max film from Warner Bros.
For those unfamiliar with Keaton's stint in DC, he originally played billionaire Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989 and reprised his character in the 1992 sequel Batman Returns.
It's worth mentioning, however, that Keaton's participation in Batgirl is not yet final. As Screen Rant pointed out, although Keaton's name is included in the official cast list which was distributed by Warner Bros., a note in the press release reads "Credits are not final and dates are subject to change."
Should his participation in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film pushes through, Keaton will star alongside Leslie Grace, who is playing the titular role of Barbara Gordon, the heroine behind the cape and cowl.
They will be joined by J.K. Simmons, who is reprising his role as Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon, Brendan Fraser, who will play as the villain Firefly, and Jacob Scipio in a still unspecified role.
Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are helming the upcoming movie with Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Christina Hodson attached as executive producers.
As of this writing, other details about Batgirl are being kept under wraps, including a storyline and a release date. Currently, the film has a 2022 release window on HBO Max.
During the DC FanDome event in October, Hodson, the scribe behind Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, described what fans can expect from the upcoming Batgirl movie.
"What's kind of funny about Barbara [Gordon] and Batgirl is that in this story, she's discovering Batgirl for the first time," Hodson explained. "So she's getting to explore a duality she's always had in her personality, but it's this whole new side of her personality, a slightly kind of more daring, slightly less law abiding side of her personality that we just get to have fun and play with."
For her part, Grace describes Barbara as "a girly girl" who is "so capable of being strong and being determined and kicking butt," adding that "she wants to prove herself, but she's also just still so sweet."
"A lot of times we focus a lot on the male superheroes, but it was really exciting to read for a female superhero that has that grit and is very sincere and almost eager to prove herself," Grace added.
Apart from Batgirl, it’s been previously confirmed that Keaton is also appearing alongside Ben Affleck’s version of the Dark Knight in Ezra Miller’s highly-awaited solo film, The Flash, which is slated to hit theaters on Nov. 4, 2022.
Aside from his stint in the DC Extended Universe, Keaton has also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the role of Adrian Toomes/Vulture in the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The Oscar-nominated actor is also reprising his Marvel role in the upcoming Marvel/Sony anti-hero movie Morbius starring Jared Leto.