Ben Affleck’s version of Batman may very well be done in the DCEU following his appearance inJustice League. The star, at one point, was attached to co-write, direct and star inThe Batman, the upcoming solo movie centered on DC’s Dark Knight, but those days have long since passed. Now, it appears that Affleck won’t even be playing the titular character inThe Batman, as he admits it’s not a certainty in a new interview.
Justice Leagueis set to arrive in theaters this weekend andBen Affleckhas been out promoting the movie, which is the culmination of the entire DCEU up to this point. When asked about appearing inThe Batman, which still doesn’t have a release date, Affleck said it’s “something I’m contemplating,” casting doubt on his appearance in the first soloBatmanmovie in this new DC movie universe. He went on, adding that nobody does it forever and that he wants to find a “graceful” way to leave the role behind. Here’s what he had to say.
“You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.”
Even since it was announced Ben Affleck isn’t going to be directingThe Batman, hisfuture in the DCEUhas been in doubt. It’s been a roller coaster of rumors suggesting he’s not going to play Batman again, with conflicting reports saying he’s going to play the part for years to come. Over the summer, during Warner Bros.' presentation forJustice Leagueat San Diego Comic-Con, Affleck seemed to squash rumors that he’s walking away from the part, expressing a great amount ofenthusiasm for Batman.
“Let me be clear. Batman is the coolest f—ing part in any universe. I am so thrilled to do it. It is f—ing amazing. After two films, Kevin Tsujihara, Sue Kroll and Toby Emmerich have said, ‘We want you to be our Batman.’ I would be an ape on the ground for Matt Reeves. It’s a great time in the DC universe, and you can see why I am so excited to play Batman.”
Considering the turmoil that’s surrounded the production ofJustice League, it’s possible that Ben Affleck just wanted to play ball and not create any more negative press ahead of the release. It looks likeJustice Leaguewill avoid the critical lashing thatBatman V. Superman: Dawn of Justicetook and it’s set to dominate at the box office this weekend. Now that it looks like the movie is, more or less, in the clear, Affleck seems to be more willing to express doubt about the future of hisBruce Wayne.
The DCEU is showing no signs of slowing down and they have movies lined up for years. AssumingJustice Leaguedoes what it’s supposed to do, Warner Bros. is going to keep pumping them out. Batman is an enormous part of that universe and, even if they have to “gracefully” usher Ben Affleck out of the role, they’re going to want someone playing Batman in future DCEU movies. Based on these new comments made toUSA Today, put your money on Affleck hanging up the cape and cowl in the near future.
