Michael Keaton Returns (Again) As Batman In New 'Batgirl' Film

Michael Keaton seems to have become very comfortable in his Batman costume. He's donning the cape and mask again to play the character in the new HBO Max film “Batgirl.”

What Happened: Keaton is part of the cast of the new film that is currently in production in London, with Leslie Grace playing Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City’s Commissioner Gordon who moonlights as the crime fighter Batgirl, according to a Variety report.

J.K. Simmons is reviving the Commissioner Gordon role he played in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” while Brendan Fraser has been signed as Firefly, a pyrotechnics-obsessed sociopath.

No release date has been set for “Batgirl,” which will be a streaming-exclusive title.

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Why It Happened: “Batgirl” marks Keaton’s second reprise of the Batman character. He's also appearing in “The Flash,” which is scheduled for a Warner Bros. theatrical release on Nov. 4, 2022. Both Warner Bros. and HBO Max are divisions of AT&T T.

Keaton first played the role in Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman” and again in 1992’s “Batman Returns,” but later spent years distancing himself from the character. In a recent interview with Variety’s Award Circuit podcast, the actor stated he was still ambivalent about donning the Batman suit.

“Just because I was curious didn’t mean I wanted to do it,” he said. “So, it took a long time, frankly… I’m not just gonna say I’ll do it. It has to be good. And there has to be a reason.”

Photo: Michael Keaton during his first go-round as Batman, courtesy of Warner Bros.