Report: Ben Affleck Out as Batman
A new report indicates Ben Affleck is out as Batman in the DC Extended Universe.
The report is based off of The Batman director Matt Reeves’ script. He allegedly submitted the first act of the screenplay over Memorial Day weekend. In that first act, the film is expected to focus on a young caped crusader.
The Hollywood Reporter indicates “it’s unlikely that Ben Affleck, who has played Batman in three features, will again don the cowl.”
However, there is still the possibility that Affleck could stay on as Batman if Reeves’ The Batman takes place in the past. That would allow DC to not only tell stories with a younger version of Batman, but also keep Affleck in the main continuity with his Justice League stars.
DC’s New Direction
Along with Affleck out as Batman, it appears Walter Hamada, the president of DC Entertainment film production at Warner Bros., will also be shifting the tone of the DC Extended Universe.
The Flash is expected to start production in early 2019 with Ezra Miller. It’s expected to take on a Back to the Future vibe with John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein, the screenwriters of Spider-Man: Homecoming, taking the director’s chair. Along with The Flash, DC is also developing the Harley Quinn-centric Birds of Prey film with director Cathy Yan. They are also moving forward with a Batgirl movie with Transformers spin-off Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson working on the script.
And while the DC Extended Universe films look to be getting a different tone, they are still developing the Joaquin Phoenix Joker film with Todd Phillips directing. It’s expected this film will appear under a new label called DC Dark or DC Black.
As for when we can expect any of these upcoming films, only time will tell. But DC won’t be announcing dates for upcoming titles in advance. Sources from the The Hollywood Reporter indicate Hamada and his boss Toby Emmerich believe putting dates on the films have “bedeviled the DC movies since 2013’s Man of Steel.” An insider told The Hollywood Reporter, “Walter has a specific design for the universe. He has a plan.”
What do you make of this report? Do you want to see Affleck continue as Batman or are you excited for another actor to take up the cowl?
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