The fallout from Warner Bros. canceling Batgirl is still being felt, with fans discussing Michael Keaton’s ill-fated return as Batman with some choice words for his Batsuit.
It was meant to be a grand return to one of his most iconic roles, with Keaton originally appearing in Batgirl before another appearance as Bruce Wayne in 2023’s The Flash. Instead, his Batgirl appearance has been left in the cold, sterile archives of Warner Bros., just waiting to get leaked one day.
The Batsuit had previously been spotted on the set in Feb. 2022, back when we were all optimistic about this upcoming Leslie Grace-led Barbara Gordon film. Somehow, close to four decades later though fans still have a major issue with the Batsuit: the lack of neck maneuverability.
It’s important to note that this suit will likely still be used for The Flash, so Batman’s rogues gallery can still defeat him just by making him need to move his head.
The Keaton Batman had a lot going for it and is definitely a product of its time, but it’s astonishing how far Batman’s suits have come since 1989. The tactical military style ushered in by Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is still being felt in the current Robert Pattinson universe.
Was Keaton’s return just done for nostalgia-baiting, or did it serve a greater purpose to Batgirl’s plot? We’ll likely never know unless someone is able to leak the film from within Warner Bros. Not everyone disliked this suit though, it must be said with some qualms as simple as the belt not being yellow.
Unless lightning strikes twice, audiences will get to see Keaton back in his very leathery Batsuit next year, with Ezra Miller’s The Flash somehow still full steam ahead. The Scarlet Speedster’s first solo film is due in cinemas in June 2023.