The Flash trailer: DC fans think they spotted Christian Bale’s Batman

Viewers are divided over whether it’s really him

DC has released the trailer for The Flash – and sleuths are convinced they’ve unearthed a big surprise.

The film, which was shot in 2021, is being released this year after a string of controversies surrounding its lead star, Ezra Miller.

On Sunday (12 February), the forthcoming release’s promotional campaign was kickstarted after its first trailer was dropped at the Super Bowl.

Several recognisable faces return in the footage, including Michael Shannon’s Man of Steel villain Zod, Ben Affleck’s Batman/Bruce Wayne and, most excitingly, Michael Keaton’s version of the Caped Crusader.

It was known Keaton had reprised the role for the shelved Batgirl film, but it was believed that his appearance in The Flash had been cut.

However, if two versions of Batman in one film wasn’t enough, fans are convinced that there’s another hidden away in the trailer.

At one stage, a shot of an unseen figure riding a Batpod is shown, and eagle-eyed viewers believe this vehicle to be the one driven by Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

“Is this Christian Bale as Batman in the Flash movie?” writer @WhitlockandPope wrote, sharing a screenshot of the moment.

“Anyone else think they baiting a Christian Bale Batman with some of the shots and that batcycle?” @theharriot added, with @ PaulMWest writing: “Holy s***, was that Christian Bale?! No other flick had that unique Batpod.”

Others highlighted the fact they believed they heard some echoes of Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight score in the trailer.

Is this Christian Bale in ‘The Flash’? (DC)

@m_ador11 wrote: “I can’t be the only one who thought it was Christian Bale’s Batman in the The Flash trailer when Batman was riding the batcycle.”

However, many argued that, if Bale was going to be in the film, it would be a foolish decision to include him in the trailer considering it would ruin the movie’s surprise.

The Flash, directed by It filmmaker Andrés Muschietti, has faced a difficult journey to release the film due to headlines about Miller, including arrests and reports of erratic behaviour stretching from Hawaii to Vermont.

The accusations Miller has faced include choking a woman at a bar in Iceland in 2020 as well as grooming and “psychologically manipulating” an 18-year-old from North Dakota.

They recently apologised for their actions, saying that they have begun ongoing treatment for “complex mental health issues”.

The Flash will be released in cinemas on 16 June.