For all the buzz and excitement generated by Justice League, there’s one thing that’s currently weighing on comic book superfans, and that’s Ben Affleck’s future in the DC Extended Universe – or lack thereof.
Beyond 2017, the actor is contractually obliged to headline The Batman for Matt Reeves, having vacated the director’s chair earlier this year. And after that? Well, that’s where things get a little murky.
Yes, Affleck has voiced his commitment to the project countless times in the past – ditto for key Warner Bros. executives, who have even gone so far as to suggest that Batfleck is the best incarnation of the DC icon yet – but there have been times when the actor walked back those comments and, by effect, cast doubt on his DCEU future.
And though he doesn’t explicitly mention his curtain call, Ben Affleck told USA Today that The Batman is “something I’m contemplating,” before dropping this cryptic line:
You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.
On a more general note, the actor then touched on the thriving superhero genre, and why audiences still flock to see the likes of Justice League and Thor: Ragnarok on the silver screen.
Per USA Today:
We certainly are in need of heroes in 2017. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world, from natural to man-made disasters, and it’s really scary. Part of the appeal of this genre is wish fulfillment: Wouldn’t it be nice if there was somebody who can save us from all this, save us from ourselves, save us from the consequences of our actions and save us from people who are evil?
Soon after Justice League‘s launch on November 17th, Matt Reeves and Co. are expected to fire up production on The Batman early next year ahead of an expected release in 2019. Should that tentative timeline prove to be accurate, then Reeves’ solo flick will be rubbing shoulders with Shazam! and Wonder Woman 2 on the DCEUÂ slate.
