DC’s The Flash showed off a side of Batman that’s rarely seen on screen. Instead of witnessing the crime-fighting vigilante we’re familiar with, the 2023 blockbuster portrayed this billionaire playing a different role as Barry hopped around the multiverse.
To recap, the Bruce Wayne we saw in the universe without metahumans was the polar opposite of Ben Affleck’s Batman. Not only was he poorly groomed, he was now more interested in cooking pasta than fighting crime. This aspiring chef used spaghetti to explain to Barry how time travel works, how events intersect, and timelines diverge. This metaphor sparked a debate on the r/DC_Cinematic subreddit, as people compared it to other Flashpoint explanations found in different DC properties.
One popular explanation was seen in the animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, where Thawne explained that the Flash caused a “time boom,” and the speedster’s selfishness led to the world “becoming a living hell.” This speedster villain taunted Barry, telling him he could have prevented important historical tragedies, but instead chose to save his own mother and is now being punished for it.
While a handful of people preferred that explanation due to how it was executed, many believed the “spaghetti theory” still made sense. It “dumbed down” the concept of time travel, and as such made it a little simpler, preventing the need for retcons.
What made this scene enjoyable was how relaxed and chill Bruce was in this timeline, to the point where some hoped that a small Doctor Who reference would come out in his dialogue. While some were skeptical if this was an accurate representation of the masked vigilante, people were reminded that this was Michael Keaton’s Batman, known for the line “let’s get nuts.” Perhaps it wouldn’t have worked with any other actor in the role except for Keaton behind the mask.
Keaton’s return as the Dark Knight got many fans excited, especially since the last time he donned the Batsuit was in 1992. This version of Batman is very different from the other Dark Knights we’ve seen on screen. But despite some viewing the “spaghetti theory” as lazy, or thinking there were better explanations elsewhere, many found this scene as comedic and easy to understand.