Robert Pattinson, 34, Ben Affleck, 48, and Michael Keaton, 69, will all play Batman in 2022

Three generations of Batmans – Robert Pattinson, 34; Ben Affleck, 48; and Michael Keaton, 69 – are all set to portray the wealthy orphan-turned-caped crusader next year.

Pattinson puts his detective spin on the character in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which hits US/UK theaters on March 4, 2022.

Both Affleck and Keaton will reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which hits US/UK theaters on November 4, 2022.  

Last week, DC Films president Walter Hamada indicated that different Batmen simultaneously exist in Earth 1 (Affleck and Keaton) and Earth 2 (Pattinson).

‘I don’t think anyone else has ever attempted (the multiverse concept on screen),’ Hamada told the New York Times.

‘But audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it. If we make good movies, they will go with it.’

When Desde Hollywood critic Néstor Bentancor asked Times reporter Brooks Barnes on Friday if Keaton would get his own Batman franchise, he said yes.  

Hitting US/UK theaters on March 4, 2022! Pattinson puts his detective spin on the character in Matt Reeves’ The Batman

Hitting US/UK theaters on November 4, 2022! Both Affleck and Keaton (M) will reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne in Andy Muschietti's The Flash

Hitting US/UK theaters on November 4, 2022! Both Affleck and Keaton (M) will reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash

By Monday, Barnes backtracked tweeting: ‘I was referring to the *one film* that Keaton has been announced as being in, not a set of his own Batman films. If I had info on him beyond The Flash, I would have obviously put it in my article.’

Elsewhere on Twitter, Forbes critic Scott Mendelson wrote that Affleck ‘didn’t want to be Batman anymore’ because Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 ‘messed up so badly.’

This was news to Justice League storyboard artist Jay Oliva, who worked with Affleck ‘personally just prior to him leaving the project.’ 

'Audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it': Last week, DC Films president Walter Hamada (pictured in 2019) indicated that different Batmen simultaneously exist in Earth 1 (Affleck and Keaton) and Earth 2 (Pattinson)

‘Audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it’: Last week, DC Films president Walter Hamada (pictured in 2019) indicated that different Batmen simultaneously exist in Earth 1 (Affleck and Keaton) and Earth 2 (Pattinson)

'Keaton': When Desde Hollywood critic Néstor Bentancor asked Times reporter Brooks Barnes on Friday if Keaton would get his own Batman franchise, he said yes

‘Keaton’: When Desde Hollywood critic Néstor Bentancor asked Times reporter Brooks Barnes on Friday if Keaton would get his own Batman franchise, he said yes

By Monday, Barnes backtracked tweeting: 'I was referring to the *one film* that Keaton has been announced as being in, not a set of his own Batman films. If I had info on him beyond The Flash, I would have obviously put it in my article'

By Monday, Barnes backtracked tweeting: ‘I was referring to the *one film* that Keaton has been announced as being in, not a set of his own Batman films. If I had info on him beyond The Flash, I would have obviously put it in my article’

‘Not once did he seem like he didn’t want to be Batman. His version of Batman in his solo movie would have made fans proud,’ Oliva replied to Mendelson.

‘I was the only artist doing boards with Ben on his Batman film. I was showing him scenes on set while he was shooting JL in London. Other than Ben himself I don’t see who Scott could have talked to who would know Ben’s reasons for leaving the project.’

The 48-year-old Oscar-winning screenwriter was hired to star, write, and direct The Batman, but dropped out in 2019 because he ‘couldn’t crack it.’ 

Elsewhere on Twitter, Forbes critic Scott Mendelson wrote that Affleck 'didn't want to be Batman anymore' because Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 'messed up so badly'

Elsewhere on Twitter, Forbes critic Scott Mendelson wrote that Affleck ‘didn’t want to be Batman anymore’ because Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 ‘messed up so badly’

'Not once did he seem like he didn't want to be Batman': This was news to Justice League storyboard artist Jay Oliva, who worked with Affleck 'personally just prior to him leaving the project'

‘Not once did he seem like he didn’t want to be Batman’: This was news to Justice League storyboard artist Jay Oliva, who worked with Affleck ‘personally just prior to him leaving the project’

Quit: The 48-year-old Oscar-winning screenwriter (M) was hired to star, write, and direct The Batman, but dropped out in 2019 because he 'couldn't crack it'

Quit: The 48-year-old Oscar-winning screenwriter (M) was hired to star, write, and direct The Batman, but dropped out in 2019 because he ‘couldn’t crack it’

Affleck told Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2019: 'So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it. They got some really good people, so I'm excited'

Affleck told Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2019: ‘So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it. They got some really good people, so I’m excited’

‘I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just couldn’t come up with a version,’ Affleck told Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2019.

‘So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it. They got some really good people, so I’m excited.’

Aside from The Flash, fans can catch Ben as Batman one more time in Zack Snyder’s four-episode director’s cut of his 2017 film Justice League, which streams later this year on HBO Max.

Ready for more? Aside from The Flash, fans can catch Ben as Batman one more time in Zack Snyder's four-episode director's cut of his 2017 film Justice League, which streams later this year on HBO Max

Ready for more? Aside from The Flash, fans can catch Ben as Batman one more time in Zack Snyder’s four-episode director’s cut of his 2017 film Justice League, which streams later this year on HBO Max