Michael Keaton adds Batgirl movie to Batman nostalgia tour, probably

Seeing as Marvel opened a whole new universe in making theatrical movie experiences appointment viewing, it’s time for DC to get in on the action. However, instead of lying to people for several months to lure moviegoers into seeing the latest Spider-Man adventure that they probably would’ve felt legally obligated to see anyway, Warner Bros. is cutting out the middleman.

A media press kit showcasing the studio’s 2022 offerings confirms that Michael Keaton is joining the cast of the upcoming Batgirl movie.

Keaton is already set to join DC’s crack at multiverse storytelling in The Flash, reprising his role as Batman, which he played twice in 1989 and 1992 for Tim Burton’s Batman movies and parodied in 2014’s Birdman.

Warner Bros. has slated Flash for a November release, but Batgirl remains in the wind with no drop date. However, we know that it’ll premiere on HBO Max, so maybe Keaton’s Batman will pop up in the DC universe before Flash.

It should also be noted that the press release doesn’t say what role Keaton plays in Batgirl. For all we know, he’s playing Egghead, who is sure to make an appearance in one of these DC movies one of these days. Hopefully, though, we aren’t in for a whole year of him lying to talkshow hosts about who he’s playing in the film.

Stunt casting, like that found in Spider-Man: No Way Home, is probably going to be a go-to cash cow over this next cycle of superhero movies. And why shouldn’t it be? No Way Home is making an ungodly amount of money simply by remaking an Oscar-winning film from three years ago.

Now that studios have a template for striking deals for these glorified guest star spots, we can only hope that DC can tempt Shaq away from his ongoing role in The General cinematic universe and don the Steel helmet once more.