We’re apparently going to see multiple versions of Batman appearing in The Flash, but don’t expect George Clooney‘s Bruce Wayne from Batman and Robin to be among them. Fans of the caped crusader were ecstatic when it was first reported that Batman and Batman Returns star Michael Keaton was in talks to reprise the role for the DCEU movie. Fan excitement only grew when it was later announced that Ben Affleck would don the cape and cowl one more time for The Flash as well, uniting at least two separate Batman actors.
Because the use of a multiverse storyline allows for any other Batman actor to potentially appear in The Flash, the door is technically open for George Clooney to join the fray in his own nipple-adorned batsuit from Batman and Robin. Speaking about the possibility in a recent interview with Empire, Clooney confirmed that Warner Bros. never gave him the offer, and he’s also pretty sure that things are going to stay that way.
“[Laughs] It’s funny – you’ll notice they didn’t call me! Somehow I didn’t get that call. They did not ask for my nipples. Listen, there are certain things you never know. This one, I know [laughs].”
Clooney has been rather open about his regret in taking on Batman & Robin. In another recent interview with GQ, the actor spoke further about the perceived lack of quality in the movie, confessing that he was personally just as terrible in it as everything else. “Having said I sucked in it, I can also say that none of these other elements worked, either. You know? Lines like ‘Freeze, Freeze!” Clooney explained.
Directed by the late Joel Schumacher and written by Akiva Goldsman, Batman and Robin was released in theaters in 1997. Along with Clooney as Batman and Chris O’Donnell as Robin, the movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth. Although the movie has a bit of a cult following with fans, it is widely considered by many to be the worst Batman adaptation ever made. Its negative reviews would keep the Dark Knight out of theaters for years until Christopher Nolan rebooted Batman with Batman Begins in 2005.
Next, Robert Pattinson will be the one to bring Bruce Wayne to life when The Batman hits theaters in 2022. Co-written and directed by Matt Reeves, the movie will feature a standalone plot with no storyline connections to the DCEU. Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis also star. It is scheduled to be released on March 4, 2022, following several production delays.
Meanwhile, Keaton and Affleck can be seen in the role when The Flash speeds its way into theaters as well. That movie is set to be released on Nov. 4, 2022. Fans will also be able to catch more of Affleck as Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a 4-hour cut of the Justice League movie that’s coming to HBO Max in 2021. This news comes to us from Empire.