Latest Rumor Claims Ben Affleck Will Return As Batman After All

To say that the Batfleck saga has been dogged by rumors and half-cooked speculation would be to deal in wild understatement.

And yet here we are; three days after we learned that Ben Affleck was headed for the exit door (again) and another rumor has emerged to suggest that the actor wants to remain a key part of the DC Extended Universe far beyond 2018.

This U-turn, assuming its true, would surely mean that Affleck will headline The Batman for Matt Reeves, before gobbling up roles in other DC projects like Gotham City Sirens, Flashpoint The Flash and maybe – just maybe – a direct sequel to Justice League.

The latter is yet to be confirmed, of course, though we’re now more concerned with how Ben Affleck’s involvement – or lack thereof – will impact The Flash solo movie. Word is the 2020 spinoff was on the verge of scrapping its Flashpoint story plan due to Affleck’s decision to vacate his role as Batman, leaving the onus on Ezra Miller’s Scarlett Speedster to take point.

Again, none of this has been confirmed outright, leaving fans to deal in wild speculation about the DC Extended Universe and Ben Affleck’s role in it. With that in mind, we advise that you treat this latest nugget as just another rumor for now, even if Twitter user ‘@DanielRPK’ tends to have a solid track record when it comes to Warner’s superhero slate.

Tag it under rumor for now; I hear Ben Affleck now wants to stick around as the DCEU's Batman.

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) May 14, 2018

So, there you have it; after months of back-and-forth, it seems the Bat-shaped pendulum has swung back in favor of Ben Affleck staying put, which presumably leaves the door open for him to star in The Batman. Up next for the fledgling DCEU is the release of Aquaman this Christmas, and all signs point to a rip-roaring underwater adventure from James Wan and the team.