By Just as Ben Affleck’s The Batman was getting back on track with director Matt Reeves in the wings, it’s rumored to have hit another snag. It’s a big rumor, too, so get your salt ready. According to sources cited by John Campea on Collider Talk, Ben Affleck no longer wants to play Batman. He wants out ASAP.
If these rumors are true, Affleck is discussing a way out with Warner Bros., and he will no longer appear in The Batman or any subsequent DCEU movies. If Affleck and Warner Bros. cannot work out a deal, Affleck will appear in The Batman and then vacate the role.
Here’s video of the rumor being discussed on Collider Talk (starts at 17:41).
Should any of these rumors wind up being true, you can take your grains of salt and spread them on the troubled fields of DC’s cinematic universe. From this once promising earth, no green shall grow, nor flowers bloom. Alas. Or, you know, they’ll recast the role and barrel on blindly and headfirst like before.
These rumors are no doubt fueled by the chaos surrounding The Batman over the last two months. Affleck seemed ambivalent about the project several weeks ago, like he’d cooled on the prospect of making it. His lack of enthusiasm became most apparent when Affleck decided he would not direct the movie.
Over at The Playlist, they note that Affleck might have seemed frustrated about The Batman while promoting his film Live By Night. Affleck appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! a month ago, where he seemed jokingly (but maybe not so jokingly) frustrated about the eagerness people had for The Batman, while his passion project Live By Night was ignored.
The DCEU just can’t seem to catch a break. While there’s still hope with Wonder Woman, the reviews and audience reactions for their current films have been mixed at best. With The Flash undergoing yet another major overhaul and very little sense of a creative direction for this cinematic universe, things seem dark for the heroes of DC.
So, what do you think about these rumors? If Affleck leaves, who should replace him? Or do you think Affleck is still all-in and this is just empty speculation? Have your say in the comments.
[Collider Talk via The Playlist]