James Gunn confirms new 'Batman' actor; debunks George Clooney rumors
What's the story
Pushing the barometer of curiosity a few notches higher, multiple rumors have suggested that DCEU might bring back George Clooney as Batman, who played the iconic role in Batman & Robin in 1997. Rumors suggested that The Flash, which features both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton's Batmen, may bring back Clooney, but filmmaker James Gunn took the lead to shut down the speculations.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Over the years, many actors have donned the cape and cowl for the DC universe, apart from Affleck, Clooney, and Keaton. The other actors who graced the bat suit include Christian Bale, Adam West, and most recently Robert Pattinson. When Clooney took on the role of the Dark Knight in 1997, the film was criticized largely, with only a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rumors
How did the rumor of Clooney returning to DCEU start?
The rumors of Clooney's return began when American reporter Grace Randolph tweeted that a former Batman will cameo at the end of The Flash, and could "potentially stick around as the new permanent DCU Batman." The tweet was accompanied by a picture of three different Batmen. Since then, multiple entertainment portals hinted that Clooney will return as Batman in The Brave and the Bold.
Response
Filmmaker Gunn took to Twitter to respond to these rumors
The DCEU is entering a new era under Gunn and Peter Safran's partnership. Gunn took to Twitter to clarify that the studio is still looking for a new Batman actor for their upcoming project. He stated that there is no truth to Clooney coming back in The Flash, and the new version of Bruce will be about 30-years-old, which rules out Clooney as Batman.
Comeback
'The Flash' marks the return of multiple Batman actors
The highly-awaited trailer of The Flash was finally released on Monday, and premiered during the Super Bowl championship. The film features Ezra Miller as the titular superhero, who is seen teaming up with not one, but two versions of Batman, Affleck and Keaton, as he tries to fix things in the alternate timelines of the universe. The film will be released on June 16.