Will Christian Bale Be in ‘The Flash’ Movie? Answered
The official trailer for The Flash dropped on Super Bowl Sunday and further heightened interest in the DC Universe (DCU) film, which is set to release on June 16. Before the trailer’s release, the film had been receiving a contradicting bevy of both positive and negative press. As early as 2020, fans became excited about the film when it was reported Michael Keaton was in talks to reprise his role as Batman for the first time in over 30 years. The excitement was only amplified when it was revealed that Michael Shannon’s General Zod was also returning and that the film would see Sasha Calle’s DCU debut as Supergirl.
In March 2022, though, The Flash started gaining attention for the growing notoriety of its lead star, Ezra Miller, who has been involved in numerous controversies and run-ins with the law. Hence, viewers weren’t quite sure how to feel about the film moving forward. However, fortunately, The Flash trailer showed the film might be Batman’s and Supergirl’s movie instead of the Flash’s. Both of them stole every scene they appeared in and raised excitement for the film far more than the two Millers/Flashes did. Viewers were also intrigued to see Ben Affleck’s Batman in the trailer as a reminder that the film will feature two iterations of Batman. Affleck will still appear as the main-timeline Batman but Keaton’s 1989-1992 Batman will return in an alternate universe.
The Flash is taking advantage of its alternate universe premise and bringing back several actors like Keaton and Shannon. As a result, some are wondering how much further the film could stretch the alternate universe premise. After all, Spider-Man: No Way Home featured three whole Spider-Mans due to its multiverse premise. So, is there a chance there could be more Batman’s hiding in The Flash?
Is Christian Bale’s Batman in The Flash?
After The Flash‘s trailer was released, fans were specifically questioning if Christian Bale’s Batman might show up in the film. In fact, many fans are actually convinced that they already spotted him in the trailer. The alleged spotting starts at about 1:55 in the trailer on YouTube and sees a Batman riding on a Batmobile and dodging a car hurtling through the air.
The shot is very brief, with Batman’s cape and cowl being all you can really see of the character. However, it isn’t clear which Batman this is or if it’s even Keaton or Affleck. As a result, some fans began questioning if they had spotted a Bale cameo.
So far, it is pure speculation that Bale is appearing as Batman in The Flash. There has been no indication that he, or any other Batman, is appearing in the film. However, until the film is officially released or the rumor is debunked, there is a small chance that another Batman actor could have a very secretive cameo in the film. The likelihood that viewers were actually glimpsing Bale’s secret cameo in the trailer is pretty slim, though. The likeliest explanation is that it is Affleck’s Batman on the Batmobile. Some users pointed out that set photos had surfaced earlier showing Affleck and his stunt double filming a scene with an identical Batmobile as seen in the trailer. Other users also pointed out that the height of the ears on Batman’s cowl in the scene in question is far too short to be Bale’s.
While there’s a small chance of an unexpected Batman cameo occurring in The Flash, there is very little evidence to suggest it will happen or that it will be Bale’s iteration of the character. The spotting of Bale’s Batman in the trailer seems to be all but officially debunked, making the cameo even less likely.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
