When Affleck entered the DC Extended Universe in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fans were introduced to a new kind of Dark Knight.
This Batman, partly based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, is older, gruff and has been fighting crime for a good 20 years.
Hints of his past are alluded to in Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League, with Robin’s suit being a prime example.
But the most prominent is a reference in Justice League to Keaton’s Batman Returns.
Alfred jokes to Bruce about “exploding wind-up penguins” in “the good old days” – a direct reference to those owned by Danny DeVito’s Penguin in the Tim Burton classic.
Not only that, but the composer of the Batman theme in the Keaton movies, Danny Elfman, used the same music in Justice League.
With this in mind, perhaps this is Warner Bros’ way of hinting that Affleck is an older version of Keaton’s Batman?
In fact, with Affleck’s return for a Batman solo movie uncertain, some fans have been calling for Keaton to return as an even older Dark Knight, now aged 66.
However, some fans might point out how The Joker, played by Jack Nicholson, in 1989’s Batman died.
Yet the DCEU could be following the comics, which would mean there are more than one Joker.
So Jared Leto’s version seen in Suicide Squad could be a different character who has adopted the villian’s persona.