The Flash’s trailer revealed an extended look at Michael Keaton’s Batman return, and it strongly suggested that Val Kilmer and George Clooney’s Batman is not the same as Keaton’s after all. After starring in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1991), Keaton decided not to return for a third Batman film following Tim Burton’s exit from the franchise. Batman Forever recast the role with Val Kilmer, meaning that The Flash will be the first time Keaton plays Batman since Batman Returns.
While concepts like shared universes and continuity are essential to modern superhero franchises like the MCU and the DC Universe, those were not a priority back when Tim Burton didn’t return for Batman 3. Batman Forever was never an official reboot as it brought back Michael Gough’s Alfred and Pat Hingle’s Commissioner Gordon from the Burton movies, yet it had pretty much no connections to Michael Keaton’s Batman apart from those two returning actors. Now, The Flash is revisiting the Burton/Schumacher canon debate, as Barry Allen will somehow travel to or perhaps even create Keaton’s Batman timeline.
