At this point, it’s not news to say that Ben Affleck won’t be in Matt Reeves’ upcoming “The Batman” solo film. We’ve covered the topic multiple times previously, as it appears that the filmmaker is interested in tackling a younger version of the Dark Knight and not the grizzled veteran that has been seen in the Zack Snyder-directed films “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” However, what is new is a report that says that Affleck wanted to come back, but Reeves vetoed the suggestion.
According to a report from Revenge of the Fans, Ben Affleck knew that Reeves wanted to make a Batman film with a younger version of the character, but the actor and some people within Warner Bros. had devised a way to service both those wanting Affleck to return, as well as those wanting a new actor.
Instead of playing the character for the whole film, Affleck’s Old Man Batman would bookend the film, telling a story of his exploits as a younger man, with whoever they hire to take on the role. However, when this idea was brought to Reeves from the studio and Affleck, the director politely turned down the option, as he was concerned that the actor’s involvement would distract from the story he is attempting to tell.
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Obviously, this is all rumored at this point, as we really don’t know much about “The Batman” even though filming is supposed to happen in 2019. But it does appear that Affleck was interested in the idea of coming back, even in a glorified cameo.
It will be a nice change of pace when Reeves actually hires someone to don the cowl and cape for his film, that way we can finally put these rumors and speculation to rest. That might be pretty far off, though. The report also says that while filming is still scheduled for sometime in 2019, WB might hold off on releasing “The Batman” until 2121. But let’s be real, the studio is going to try to get this film released as soon as possible, as Batman is clearly the studios biggest superhero asset.