With Robert Pattinson's upcoming The Batman currently filming, former Caped Crusader Ben Affleck hasn't budged on his stance with not reprising the role again in the DCEU. Warner Bros.' cinematic universe for their DC properties has had a shaky history in recent years when it comes to the presence of the Dark Knight. At the inception of the new shared universe, Affleck was cast to bring the next iteration of Bruce Wayne to life, starting in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. With his appearances in Suicide Squad and Justice League, the plan was to have his Batman star in a solo-film that was initially being directed and written by Affleck.
But as things began to unravel about the planning of DC films behind the scenes, so did Affleck's commitment to the role as well as his upcoming solo movie. Starting with stepping down as director, which was later revealed to be due to health issues, his version of The Batman would begin to change bit by bit. Following the hiring of Matt Reeves as the director, it became uncertain whether or not Affleck was even going to star in the solo outing. But in 2019, Pattinson was officially cast as the new Batman, confirming that the film would take place during Bruce's early days as a crime-fighter. Affleck used this as a chance to bid farewell to the franchise to focus on other projects that spoke more to him.
In a recent interview with DeWayne Hamby to promote The Way Back, Affleck was asked if the door was truly closed forever on him returning to reprise his Batman. In the video, posted on YouTube, Affleck politely reaffirmed that his time as the DC icon is over. While appreciative of the time he had playing the famous superhero, Affleck states that although he "had an opportunity to write and direct and kind of star in a standalone Batman [film]," it occurred around the same time he "kind of lost interest in those stories." Affleck added that he'd happily go and see Pattinson's new iteration of the hero.
While the interviewer jokingly suggests the possibility of Affleck returning to the role in an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, Affleck seemed partially interested in the idea. But that would involve telling the story of an incredibly old Dark Knight, which probably couldn't happen until Affleck ages another ten years. As much hope, support and hype there is from fans for Affleck's return, it's becoming more apparent every day that Warner Bros. only has eyes for Pattinson's Batman, for now.
Currently, The Batman's place in the DCEU is a mystery. Jeffrey Wright playing Commissioner Gordon is a pretty good indication that the new film could take place in a universe of its own. With that most likely being the case, it does pose the question of what the DCEU will do to tackle their Caped Crusader conundrum. With inter-connected franchises such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam continuing, will they recast another Batman to appear in supporting roles in continuity-linked DCEU films? Only time will tell, but as far as Ben Affleck goes: his time as Batman is officially done.
Source: DeWayne Hamby via YouTube
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