Michael Keaton is reportedly in talks to reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming The Flash movie.

The 68-year-old played the caped crusader in 1989's Batman and 1992 sequel Batman Returns but quit the role when Tim Burton left as director of the franchise.

Batman has since been portrayed multiple times on the big screen by different actors, and a new movie called The Batman with Robert Pattinson as the lead is currently in development.

According to E! News, Keaton is in discussions to play an aged version of Batman in The Flash movie - due for release in 2022 - as well as additional DC movies in a role akin to Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury in the Marvel universe.

Speaking about Keaton's negotiations, a source told the publication: "It's very early and it is far from a done deal."

The Batman is being viewed as a different project from The Flash, although the plotline for the latter is said to include the mouthwatering prospect of "inter-dimensional travel", leaving open the possibility of the two films being linked in some way.