By A report from Deadline finally confirmed what DC fans had already suspected—Ben Affleck will not return as the Dark Knight. The next Batman movie, which will be helmed by Matt Reeves, will release in summer of 2021 and focus on a younger Bruce Wayne. Presumably, we’re going to watch his parents get murdered again.
Affleck played the Caped Crusader on the big screen since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a movie that several didn’t take to, but Affleck’s performance made an impression on audiences regardless of how they felt of the film. Looking through responses on Twitter, several fans are saddened by this development. Affleck himself confirmed the news on his own Twitter.
Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life. https://t.co/GNgyJroMIO
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 31, 2019
With the next film going with a younger Bruce Wayne, I have to wonder if DC and WB are abandoning this shared universe and letting it die. DC will reportedly be working on more standalone movies after the success of Aquaman, and no one in the world seems to know whether or not Henry Cavill is staying on as Superman.
Forgive me for the contrarian opinion, but I’m not too invested in who plays Batman. While I liked Affleck’s take, I’ve never thought that Bruce Wayne was a character that required a lot of acting range. To be honest, I think that pretty much any middle-aged, somewhat-handsome, muscular man could play Batman. Unfortunately, I am none of those, so I am disqualified.
The Batman will release in theaters on June 25, 2021, a date right now that seems absurd but will absolutely sneak up on us.
‘The Batman’ To Fly In Summer 2021; Ben Affleck Passes The Torch To Next Generation Of Bruce Wayne [Deadline]