The Flash director Andy Muschietti reveals that Michael Keaton’s iconic Batsuit from 1989’s Batman needed an upgrade for the multiverse-themed DC Studios blockbuster.
How is the new Batsuit different from the original?
Per Entertainment Weekly, Muscheietti spoke about the creative decisions he made during a press conference for The Flash held in Los Angeles. Muscheietti explained that despite how memorable Keaton’s presence was in the 1989 hit, he wanted to upgrade the Batsuit to make it more comfortable for the actor. “You know the story. He was like, ‘That old suit was impossible to work with,'” Muscheietti said. “[Michael Keaton] was very frustrated because he couldn’t move his neck or anything. The design was perfect, but it’s very often in movies that the better a suit looks, the more uncomfortable it is.”
The Flash marks Keaton’s return to the Dark Knight since his last appearance in 1992’s Batman Returns. While Keaton’s Batsuit retains his iconic Bat symbol and sleek black design, it appears far more flexible than the original. The Flash costume designer Alex Burns re-designed the Batsuit in such a way that it gave Keaton less restrictive movement with his legs and neck.
With a multiverse premise that sees Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) travel time to save his late mother only to disrupt his reality, The Flash must team up with Keaton’s Batman and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) to fix time and stop a resurrected General Zod (Michael Shannon). For Director Muscheietti and his producer sister Barbara Muscheietti, Keaton reprising his star-making role was vital to making the story work. “As we sat with him at a lovely lunch, we told him that we couldn’t make the movie without him. And he boarded the train,” Barbara recalled.
Directed by Muscheietti and written by Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson, The Flash stars Miller, Keaton, Calle, and Shannon. The film co-stars Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, and Ron Livingston as Henry Allen with a special appearance by Ben Affleck as his DCEU version of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
The Flash races to theaters on June 16.
