Does a new promo image confirm The Flash‘s secret villain is actually Red Death? Arguably the most exciting (studio-sanctioned) DCEU movie since Man of Steel, Andy Muschietti’s The Flash stars Ezra Miller, once again playing the socially-awkward Barry Allen. Unfortunately for Barry, his social circle is about to become a whole lot bigger. Not only does The Flash mark Ben Affleck’s DCEU return and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl debut but, over 30 years since first pulling on the cowl, Michael Keaton is back as the Tim Burton-era Caped Crusader. Clearly taking the DC franchise in a multiverse direction, there’s no telling who else might turn up – Arrowverse stars, Nolan characters, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze…
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Though Warner Bros. is yet to bless us with a trailer, The Flash is hoping promotional images will tide fans over for the time being. The most recent depicts the Bat logo of Keaton’s iconic suit spray-painted with the red background and yellow lightning bolt of Flash. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen The Flash‘s marketing blend the symbols of both heroes together, and it’s rapidly becoming clear that Keaton’s role is much bigger than a mere nostalgia cameo. But is there more to the visual of Batman and Flash colliding than just clever promotion?
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One popular theory suggests The Flash could be teasing Red Death. Introduced in 2017’s Dark Days by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, Red Death is an alternate, evil version of Batman who became corrupted after losing his sidekicks. Seeking to power-up, Earth -52 Bruce Wayne defeated Barry Allen and harnessed the Speed Force to become Red Death – a mashup of Dark Knight and Scarlet Speedster. Fans are beginning to suspect that DC’s teasing of Flash-inspired Batman costumes (not to mention the Bat logo with blood dripping down it) all point toward Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne attacking the multiverse as Red Death in 2022’s crossover movie.
The theory actually makes a whole lot of sense. For starters, it’s strange how The Flash has revealed so many cast members, but offered absolutely no clue on who the villain might be. The Flash‘s lack of antagonist-flavored news could mean the baddie is a dark parallel to one of the heroes. There are plenty of rotten Flash offshoots Ezra Miller could pull double-duty for… but what if The Flash‘s villain is actually Michael Keaton’s Batman, transformed into Red Death? Last seen in Batman Returns, Keaton’s Bruce never had a Robin on-screen, so any sidekick deaths would’ve taken place during the vigilante’s later years. It’s possible that Batman embarked on a downward spiral after his victory over Penguin, and murdered his universe’s Flash to gain more power. That’d certainly explain the promo image of a bloody Batman logo.
Red Death’s presence in The Flash would also explain why the film includes multiple Batmen in the first place. The pairing isn’t as natural as, for instance, Batman and Superman, but Red Death’s arrival would give Ezra Miller and Ben Affleck a pretty convincing reason to join forces. Only by combining their knowledge and experience could a villainous Batman-Flash hybrid be thwarted. Finally, bringing Red Death into the DCEU might reveal how and why the multiverse gates are thrown open in The Flash. Red Death’s comic book transformation threatened the entire universe and, to save his world, Speedy Bruce invaded DC’s multiverse. This could be why franchises are coming together in The Flash – Keaton invading the DCEU to stop his own Burton-verse collapsing.
DC’s Red Death would need substantial tweaks to flourish in a live-action setting. With Michael Keaton something of a returning legend, fans will likely have a hard time accepting his Batman as an outright villain – especially one who murdered a fellow Justice League member. If The Flash‘s Red Death adopted in the mold of a misguided antihero, however, a darker Keaton could be the perfect opponent for Ezra Miller and Ben Affleck.
