There was much excitement in June last year when we learned that Michael Keaton had entered talks to return as Batman for the new Flash stand-alone movie that director Andy Muschietti was finally, actually going to bring to life. But, in conversation with Deadline about some new awards attention for his role in The Trial Of The Chicago 7, Keaton is showing a little hesitation about the gig.
Let's be clear right now: this is not the actor turning down the job of putting the Bat suit back on completely, more that he's concerned that his own busy schedule and worries about his health in the midst of an ongoing pandemic could get in the way.
"I am needing a minute to think about it because I’m so fortunate and blessed, I got so much going on now," Keaton says. "I’m really into work right now. I don’t know why, but I am, and so, yeah, I mean, you know, to tell you the truth, somewhere on my iPad is an iteration of the whole Flash thing that I haven’t had time yet… I called them and said, I have to be honest with you. I can’t look at anything right now. I’m so deep into this thing I’m doing. Also, I’m prepping a thing I’m producing and getting ready to do down the road in the fall that I’ll be in, and I feel responsible to that. So, yeah, there is that. I’m not being cute or coy. If I talked about it, I’ll be just bullshitting you. I don’t really know. I have to look at the last draft. To be honest with you, you know what worries me more than anything about all this stuff?"
So what is he worried about? "It’s Covid. I’m more concerned. I keep my eye more on the Covid situation in the UK than anything. That will determine everything, and so that’s why I’m living outside the city here on 17 acres, staying away from everybody, because the Covid thing has got me really concerned. So, that’s my first thing about all projects. I look at it and go, is this thing going to kill me, literally? And you know, if it doesn’t, then we talk."
Chances remain strong that Muschietti and Warner Bros. will be able to talk Keaton into committing fully to the movie, especially since it's about to kick off shooting soon. And given all the delays, director changes and re-writes it has been through, fingers crossed it actually happens...