The Flash: Michael Keaton suits up as Batman in jaw-dropping first look image

Michael Keaton will return as Batman in The Flash and this image gives us what appears to be our first look at his new suit. What do you think of it?

Michael Keaton is widely considered ne of the all-time best – if not the best – actors to portray Batman in a live-action film.

The esteemed movie star first donned the cape and cowl in Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster Batman and reprised the role in the more Burton-esque sequel Batman Returns. He famously chose not to return for Joel Schumacher’s more colorful Forever in 1995 but we will, in fact, see him return to the role for a third time.

In what many consider the most shocking announcement in DC Films in a very long time, Keaton will reprise the role in The Flash. He did reprise it in Batgirl too, before that movie was cancelled by the new-powers-that-be at Warner Bros. Discovery, and now it remains unclear what his future in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe will be beyond The Flash.

The movie is coming to theaters this summer, and we wait, we can look back at what appears to be the first full look at the star in the Batsuit for the first time in 30 years.

Michael Keaton’s Batman returns as his new Batsuit is revealed

As reported by Den of Geek a little while back, an image has surfaced online, which can be viewed here in a tweet, showcasing a much clearer look at the new Batsuit that Michael Keaton will be wearing in his upcoming DCEU appearances.

The images appear to be from a costume test and, looking at the suit, it’s clear that it borrowed a lot from the Batsuits that Keaton wore in Batman and Batman Returns. That said, there are some changes. The iconic yellow Bat insignia is identical to the traditional one seen in the 1992 sequel but the armor itself is much sleeker, giving it much less of a rubber look than the one Keaton donned in the 1989 film and making it that much shinier than the one from Returns. The gauntlets are also much sharper (and more armored).

The biggest difference, however, comes in the all-black utility belt. That could be down to storyline purposes, though, as you’ll notice that Leslie Grace’s Batgirl boasted an identical utility belt but with the more traditional yellow pouches in the short-lived movie.

Is this Michael Keaton’s Batsuit in The Flash?

This does appear to be the first clear look we got at this suit after Batgirl set photos depicted what appeared to be a stunt double wearing the costume in a flashback sequence to the Dark Knight’s younger days. Moreover, after Batgirl‘s cancellation, director Adil E. Arbi shared a behind-the-scenes image from the set, giving us another look at Keaton in the suit.

With that in mind, it’s clear that Keaton will don this suit in The Flash. The question is: Is this the same suit we saw him don in the first teaser trailer for The Flash, or will he be bringing in another, bulkier suit for that film? We might just get the answer when the Super Bowl trailer premieres this weekend.

Regardless, it’s great to see Michael Keaton back in the iconic role. Batman has truly returned.

The first poster for the movie was released on social media, and it also teases Keaton’s return as the Caped Crusader by featuring the same Batwing he flew in the 1989 movie.

Are you looking forward to seeing Michael Keaton return as Batman in The Flash? Do you wish Batgirl got to go ahead as once planned? Let us know in the comments below!