The general consensus among fans is that Ben Affleck had the potential to be an all-time great Batman, but he was let down by the quality of the movies that he appeared in. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a hugely uneven epic that was greatly improved by the Extended Edition, while his role in Justice League was essentially butchered when Joss Whedon took over from Zack Snyder and embarked on extensive reshoots.
Having already been burned by his previous experience playing Daredevil, Affleck ultimately stepped away from the Dark Knight entirely, a far cry from when he was set to direct and headline the DCEU’s original vision for The Batman. The actor’s personal problems also played a huge role in his decision to quit, but as we’ve seen countless times before, nothing can ever truly be ruled out when it comes to the comic book genre.
Rumors had been making the rounds for months that the 48 year-old could be tempted into suiting up once more, and while the majority expected the news to be revealed at this weekend’s DC FanDome, it was confirmed earlier today that the Academy Award-winning filmmaker would be joining the cast of The Flash, which also creates the tantalizing possibility of him sharing the screen with Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne.
In a recent interview, producer Barbara Muschietti admitted that they weren’t entirely convinced that he would agree to return, and they were pleasantly surprised at how open to the idea he turned out to be.
“There have been some all sorts of stories and things he said himself about having a very hard time playing Batman, and it had been difficult for him. I think it was more about a difficult time in his life. When we approached him, he’s now in a very different time in his life. He was very open to it, which was a bit of a surprise to us. It was a question mark.”
Affleck clearly believes that he has unfinished business with the character, and while today’s news will no doubt lead to speculation that we might end up seeing his take on The Batman after all as numerous reports have claimed recently, even if it is a one-and-done in The Flash, then he’ll at least be able to go out on his own terms this time around.
