But even ignoring the continuity of it all, Batman & Robin is still a dark note in Batman film history, with Clooney having previously apologized for his part in it and recently saying he was “terrible” in the movie.
Technically speaking, George Clooney played the same version of Batman as Michael Keaton, in spite of the drastic tonal and architectural differences between Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies and the ones Tim Burton helmed.
So you can’t blame Clooney for automatically ruling out anyone from Warner Bros and DC giving him a call about putting the cape and cowl back on.
So if Keaton’s already in the mix, Clooney wouldn’t be necessary.