LAS VEGAS – The Bat is back.
Thirty years after he last donned the cape and cowl in 1992’s “Batman Returns,” Michael Keaton is suiting back up as the Dark Knight in “The Flash” (in theaters June 23, 2023).
Attendees at CinemaCon, a convention for movie theater owners and studios, got a first look Tuesday at Keaton in the stand-alone superhero film, which centers on embattled Ezra Miller‘s Barry Allen, aka The Flash.
In the footage, a secret bookshelf door opens to reveal a shadowy room full of Batsuits. Later, The Flash and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) recruit Keaton’s Batman for what’s tipped to be a multiverse adventure featuring different versions of the DC characters.
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“Are you ready?” Barry asks, as the camera pans to Keaton’s Bruce Wayne: maskless and wearing a Batsuit in what appears to be Wayne Manor.
“You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts,” Bruce replies, referencing Keaton’s famous line from 1989’s “Batman” and earning cheers from the crowd.
“The Flash” is also set to feature the returns of Ben Affleck’s Batman and Michael Shannon’s General Zod from past DC Extended Universe movies, although neither appeared in the footage that premiered at CinemaCon.
Miller, 29, is dealing with legal issues after two arrests in Hawaii in recent weeks on charges of assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Last week, Miller was arrested during a traffic stop and released pending further investigation after allegedly throwing a chair and hitting a woman in the forehead at a house party.
About 12 hours later, the actor appeared via Zoom for a court hearing regarding an arrest last month at a karaoke bar, where police said Miller grabbed a mic from a woman and lunged at a man playing darts.
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DC superheroes were at the forefront of Warner Bros’ two-hour presentation Tuesday at Caesars Palace. After pretending to Zoom in from Hawaii, Dwayne Johnson surprised CinemaCon by taking the stage at The Colosseum to present the first trailer for his long-gestating superhero film “Black Adam” (in theaters Oct. 21), co-starring Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo and Quintessa Swindell.
Introducing the clip, the wrestler-turned-actor teased his character’s ” ‘Dirty Harry’ brand of justice.”
“There’s black, there’s white, and there’s a little bit of gray,” Johnson said. While some people might think “superheroes don’t kill people, he’s like, ‘Well, I do.’ “
Jason Momoa pre-taped a message touting DC sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” expected next year, while Helen Mirren was on hand to discuss this year’s “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (in theaters Dec. 16).
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Batman Michael Keaton’s ‘The Flash’ first footage evokes iconic line
