Holy Batman! ‘The Flash’ Ends With Big Surprise

Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Flash.

Robin, it might be time to get jealous!

While much of the hype around The Flash focused on Michael Keaton's long-anticipated return as Batman, the most exciting moment involving the Caped Crusader was the shocking appearance of the worst-reviewed Dark Knight!

In The Flash's final scene, Barry (Ezra Miller) finally returns to his universe after undoing all the damage he initially caused, and he's relieved to get a call from his buddy and fellow crimefighter Bruce Wayne — or so he thinks. As Barry walks out of the Central City courthouse, Bruce tells him he's pulling up, and the press quickly surrounds the man who steps out of the fancy car. "Who the f--- is this," declares Barry, shocked and confused by the Bruce walking up to him.

Well, that's George F---ing Clooney, sir!

"You're not Batman," Barry tells this other Bruce, who responds, "What's wrong with you?" Still baffled, Barry suddenly loses a front tooth, a callback to it first falling out earlier in the film.

Clearly, this universe didn't have the pleasure — or pain — of seeing 1997's Batman & Robin, previously Clooney's sole outing as Batman. The Joel Schumacher film was critically savaged then and has continued to be maligned ever since, especially by Clooney.

"I did one superhero movie, and I f---ed it up so bad they won't let me near the set," Clooney said about Batman & Robin, which, according to him, "wasn't a good film" and "I wasn't good in it."

Back in 2021, Clooney was promoting The Tender Bar, a coming-of-age drama he directed starring Affleck when the topic of joining Affleck in The Flash came up. "They didn't ask me," he responded. "When you destroy a franchise the way I did, usually they look the other way when The Flash comes by."

Rumors of Clooney's return began circulating in the last few months, with some speculating that Clooney would appear in The Flash and then take over as the main Batman in the new DCU under co-CEO James Gunn. Responding to a Twitter user in February, Gunn said Clooney would "absolutely not" be his Batman, adding that it will be a "new actor."

Somehow, we think Clooney will survive!