DC Publisher Jim Lee may have denied there are any plans to do more with the Snydererse on the film side, but it seems Warner Bros. is not ready to let go yet – at least not when it comes to Ben Affleck. It’s being reported the actor dons the cowl for one more shot outside The Flash in Aquaman 2.
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Aquaman star Jason Momoa confirmed in an Instagram post he and Affleck are reuniting on The Seven Seas this March, and they also interrupted a WB studio tour in progress. “REUNITED [Bruce] and [Arthur]. love u and miss u Ben WB studio tours just explored the backlot alright. busted on set all great things coming AQUAMAN 2 all my aloha j,” Momoa shared with some photos of the two and some tourists.
Momoa added a little more detail on his Instagram Story, saying Batfleck’s return was supposed to be a secret. “Well, it’s not a f’n secret anymore is it? That’s what happens, Warner Bros. when you walk out of your set and [there] are fans. Hey, guys. Have a good time. [Laughs] Well, we tried to keep it a secret. [Laughs] Alright. Here we go,” said Momoa in front of the tourists.
Jason Momoa just confirmed on his IG that Batfleck is back and will appear in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ pic.twitter.com/AFGOb0kOhj
— M.C.T.V. (@MCTVPodcast) July 28, 2022
Ben Affleck was supposed to be done after The Flash resets the timeline – essentially erasing the Zack Snyder movies – and Michael Keaton was going to step in. However, Flash is due out in June after Aquaman 2’s release when it was originally set to be in theaters sooner for a date in November.
Like everything else in the DC slate, Flash was delayed as things kept getting turned around. It now comes out after the Aquaman sequel in the continuity so plans had to change.
What happened here according to Cosmic Book News is Warner used Affleck to replace Keaton, who was penciled in initially for a small role as Batman in The Lost Kingdom, because he hasn’t made his grand comeback yet.
The rumor is The Dark Knight appears in two scenes: one early in the film where he talks to Arthur about a problem at the Earth’s core he suspects Atlanteans are responsible for, and another in which he appears during a speech given by Aquaman as an epilogue.
Affleck appears to have picked up the slack and participated in reshoots of those scenes, and now guest stars alongside Momoa in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which comes to a theater near you on March 17, 2023.
Momoa’s confirmation of Affleck’s role confirms a scoop from YouTuber Syl Abdul, where he noted earlier this month, “They are expecting Ben Affleck on set for additional photography on Aquaman 2.”
Michael Keaton is still expected to wear the cape again in Batgirl when the film premieres later in 2023 after Aquaman 2 and The Flash. We’ll be waiting to see if plans change any further.