Before the current DCEU and even The Dark Knight trilogy, there were the Christopher Reeve-led Superman movies from the '70s to '80s and Michael Keaton-led Batman movies from the late '80s to early '90s. They were considered beloved comic book movies even until today as they're also seen as pivotal to the growth of the genre today.
Some fans have been nostalgic about the films to the point that they got excited and delighted when it was confirmed that Keaton is returning to play the Caped Crusader next year in The Flash. As for Reeve's films, it still continues to be cited as the inspiration for many comic book movies today.
Now, it looks like we're going to see those films in a different light. As reported by Bleeding Cool, the new DC Comics one-shot Dark Crisis: Big Bang has officially set the Keaton Batman movies and the Reeve Superman movies as part of the same universe alongside the 1984 Supergirl film.
The respective movies' universe is being designated as part of Earth-789 in the DC multiverse where Superman and Supergirl are the only powered beings on the planet and, as we learned in the 1989 Batman movie, Bruce Wayne's parents are killed by the Joker.
However, the revelation is being disputed by fans on Reddit as they argued that the connection does not make any sense due to inconsistencies and its difference from what was established in the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
It is interesting to learn that they are all part of the same universe now which does pose a lot of questions about the logic and whether Warner Bros. and DC were always seeing it that way back when they were making the films or it was only decided today.
It would be curious to see if The Flash will also establish that when they re-introduce Keaton's Batman next year and hint at the connections to the Reeve-led films.
Also Read: Canceled Batman Beyond Movie Planned to Bring Back Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman
The Flash is set for release in theaters on June 16, 2023. You can check more details about it here.