Yes, That Is Michael Keaton's Voice in the New Trailer for 'The Flash'
Published Oct. 18 2021, 8:51 a.m. ET
One of the many DC Comics films arriving in 2022 is The Flash, featuring actor Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) as Barry Allen, the titular Flash. Also in the film is Ben Affleck, who reprises his role as Batman from Justice League; Michael Keaton, who will play Batman from a different timeline; and Sasha Calle, who plays Supergirl.
On Oct. 16, 2021, DC, through the DC FanDome event, released an exclusive first trailer for The Flash, which is currently in production. Here's a breakdown of what we saw in the trailer and what surprises might be in store.
The new trailer for 'The Flash' hinted at Michael Keaton's return.
The first thing fans might notice in The Flash trailer is the narration by Michael Keaton, who begins by saying, "Tell me something. You can go anywhere you want, right? Any timeline?" During his narration, we see a cab from Central City that seems to be carrying two Barry Allens (one from each timeline).
The pair exit the vehicle and approach the foggy gates of Wayne Manor. What the two Flashes see is not the Wayne Manor from Justice League but from Batman (1989) and the Keaton films.
However, despite the sheer joy fans may be feeling about seeing Keaton's version of Wayne Manor, it appears abandoned, and Barry goes to turn on the cobweb-encased lighting system. The trailer then flashes to Barry changing timelines and arriving at his parents' home, walking in through the front door and startling his mother, Nora Allen.
If fans recall, the premise of The Flash film is that Barry travels through time in an attempt to prevent his mother's murder, which was pinned on his father and effectively makes him an orphan. However, Barry's time-travel adventure also causes fractures in his timeline, which is where the multiple Barrys — and multiple Bruce Waynes — comes into play.
As Barry approaches his family home, Batman narrates, "Why do you want to fight to save this [timeline]?" The camera quickly cuts to Barry's mother, then to what appears to be a dying or sick figure handing a healthy Barry an important item. Fans have been speculating this might be Ben Affleck's Batman in a fraught timeline, further confirmed by the next shot of Batman's bloody cowl on the ground.
The narration states ominously, "You changed the future ... and you changed the past." Another quick clip cuts to Barry in his Flash costume in a symmetrical room, perhaps in Star Labs.
Barry becomes The Flash through an accident at Star Labs. His origin has not been explored previously, so perhaps in The Flash's travel to the past and the future, fans will finally see his pre- and post-powers life.
Also present in the trailer are several Flash-related mementos, such as red boots spray-painted with the Flash symbol potentially belonging to Jay Garrick and the Flash's ring. Another shot reveals that Barry wears a Flashpoint-inspired suit. Flashpoint is a famous comics arc in which Barry is the only one aware of a series of timeline alterations that occur.
The trailer also briefly shows the ears of Michael Keaton's famous Batsuit and ends with Team Flash — two Barry Allens and Supergirl — saying, "Are you in?"
The stakes are higher than ever as Barry and his friends race against the clock to protect the world as they know it. The Flash speeds into theaters on Nov. 4, 2022.