The original Caped Crusader of the DC Extended Universe, Ben Affleck, will be returning to the role yet again in Aquaman 2.
After several turbulent years at Warner Bros. and DC, which has seen Zack Snyder’s original vision and a studio’s slate change drastically, we’ll see Affleck suit up as Batman again for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As confirmed by Aquaman 2‘s lead Jason Momoa on his Instagram, the DCEU will continue to compete with Robert Pattinson’s Batman portrayal.
Affleck walked away from the DCEU in the height of its promise, including stepping down as director for what ended up becoming Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Affleck had said he lost passion for the project, with the actor also undergoing relapses for alcoholism. In the years since, Affleck’s made a return, and coming back as Batman might just fuel the SnyderVerse fans even further into thinking a continuation is coming.
The actor last played Batman in Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which showed him as the grizzled veteran of crimefighting. Or a bit of a moron in the the original theatrical cut from 2017. Affleck is also confirmed for The Flash, which is still very much in a contentious position to be released thanks to star Ezra Miller’s very public misdeeds.
What exactly the DCEU is evolving into is still unsure, with projects still happening, but very sparingly do announcements get made by Warner Bros.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will also play host to one of Amber Heard’s first major roles since the all-encompassing defamation trial, with the film scheduled for a March 2023 release.
