Ben Affleck is finished playing Batman, and new details have emerged about the DC character's movie future

January 31, 2019

batman

Ben Affleck is not returning as Batman, Deadline reported on Wednesday.
Affleck then seemed to confirm the report by tweeting it and saying he was "excited" to see director Matt Reeves' "vision come to life."
Affleck's future as Batman has been in question for over a year, and Reeves reportedly wants a younger version of the character.
Affleck's departure is part of a shift in strategy for Warner Bros.' DC Comics movies.

Ben Affleck is hanging up the cape and cowl.

The next standalone movie starring the Caped Crusader, tentatively titled "The Batman," hits theaters on June 25, 2021, but Affleck will not be along for the ride, Deadline reported on Wednesday.

Affleck tweeted Deadline's report that evening, and said he was "excited" for "The Batman" and to see director Matt Reeves' "vision come to life."

A representative for Affleck did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment. But Affleck's tweet is the closest thing to a confirmation yet on his future as the Dark Knight, which has been in question for over a year.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported in July 2017 that Warner Bros. planned to "usher out Affleck’s Batman gracefully," citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the situation. Since then, there have been major signs that Affleck would not return as the character.

Reeves' script calls for a younger Batman, THR first reported last June. And Warner Bros. has shifted its strategy away from a shared cinematic universe in favor of standalone movies, suggesting that Affleck's Batman is no longer part of the plan. "Aquaman" showed the new strategy could work, as the movie is disconnected from any previous entries in the DCEU, and has made over $1 billion worldwide.

Affleck appeared as Batman in three movies within Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Suicide Squad" in 2016, and in "Justice League" in 2017. The movies were lambasted by critics, and "Justice League" was a major box-office disappointment.

Affleck isn't alone in ditching the DCEU, though. THR first reported in September, followed by other publications like Variety and The Wrap, that Henry Cavill would not return as Superman as Warner Bros. focuses on a Supergirl movie instead.

Reeves — who has also directed the handheld-camera monster movie "Cloverfield," the vampire horror "Let Me In," and "War for The Planet of the Apes" — told THR in an interview published Wednesday that his Batman movie's title could change.

"I'm working with it as 'The Batman' in my head and that's what we've always referred to it as," Reeves said. "But these things have taken a life of their own. As we go deeper into it, it may become clear, 'Oh, actually this might be a great spin on the title.' But as of now, it's 'The Batman.'"

Reeves also hinted that there could be multiple villains in the movie.

"You can't have Batman without a villain," Reeves said. "There will be a rogues gallery."

Other upcoming DC Comics movies include April's "Shazam!," October's "Joker," and next summer's "Wonder Woman 1984."

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