A spoiler-free discussion.
Ben Affleck as Batman, seen here in a still from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
It seems like that story that never ends when it comes to Ben Affleck and his role as the Batman in the DCEU. Ever since the mixed reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice more than five years ago, whether or not Ben Affleck would remain attached to the role of The Caped Crusader was always on thin ice.
Yet, the actor did surprise us all when he agreed to don the iconic cape and cowl once more to shoot additional photography for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and again for The Flash movie, now scheduled to release in June of 2023.
Some theorize that Affleck only agreed to portray the Batman in these smaller roles due to contract obligations, while others believed that the actor was going through a love-hate relationship with the character.
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We cannot really say for sure which of the two theories is the absolute truth, but Affleck’s appearance alongside Michael Keaton’s Batman in the upcoming The Flash movie does hint at the fact that the actor might finally be taking a bow from the role for good. In fact, scoopers have come out on Twitter to say that there is a high chance Batfleck might just bite the bullet in the film.
The reasons given to justify Batfleck’s death in the film stem from a rumor that the studio intends to replace Affleck’s Batman with that of Keaton’s. This would make sense in the grand scheme of things, as Keaton’s Batman will be making a further appearance in the upcoming Batgirl film for HBO MAX. It would then only be plausible to retain one Batman in the DCEU moving forward, and based on what we have uncovered, Batfleck is on his way out.
Then, of course, there are those theorists that claim the recent film delay for The Flash film by a year is not because of incomplete CGI effects but rather to incorporate some extensive reshoots to ensure that Batfleck survives the film and therefore leaves his story arc open to the actor should he be interested in reprising the role once more, kind of like what George Lucas did with the Han Solo character at the end of The Empire Strikes Back.
That being said, if the rumor of Batfleck dying in the film is to be believed, then it would be sad news indeed for fans of the character and of the wider Snyderverse, as we are well aware of the status of The Caped Crusader should Zack Snyder be allowed to complete his vision of the DCEU.
Still, there is little hope that Affleck will remain as Batman moving forward, as there have been further rumors circulating across the internet that Discovery are heavily interested in investing in an Affleck Batman solo project once the merger with Warner Bros is completed.
Fingers crossed for Batfleck.