Discovery Reportedly Trying To Convince Ben Affleck To Return As Batman

You’d have to imagine that the decision whether or not to stay on as the DCEU’s Batman is one Ben Affleck regularly finds himself dealing with internally, even if it might not end up being his call in the end. The actor officially retired from the cape and cowl following Justice League, but his loyalty to Zack Snyder saw him shoot more additional footage than anyone else for the filmmaker’s HBO Max exclusive version of the movie, before he signed on for The Flash.

Two projects back-to-back after stepping down from the role is hardly the stuff retirements are made of, and ever since then we’ve been inundated with rumor and speculation as to what the future holds. We’ve heard tales of that standalone movie finally coming together, streaming shows featuring Jared Leto’s Joker, and cameos all across the breadth of the DCEU—without even mentioning the conflicting reports that he’s either going to live or die by the time the credits roll on The Flash, which is admittedly a 50/50 shot.

However, we’re hearing from our sources—the same ones that told us the two-time Academy Award winner would be back for the Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut long before it was confirmed —that once the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger is finalized, the new regime will be pulling out all the stops to try and convince Affleck that a full-time return is worth his while.

The 49 year-old has never spoken publicly on his future beyond The Flash, so it’s anybody’s guess as to what comes next. But you can guarantee the fans would love to see him stick around for just that little bit longer to continue his stint as the DCEU’s grizzled veteran version of Batman.