Matt Reeves Already Has Someone In Mind To Replace Ben Affleck As Batman

One of the biggest questions hanging over the future of the DCEU is whether or not Ben Affleck will be staying on board as Batman for the long haul. Despite only appearing in two movies so far (well, three if you count his Suicide Squad cameos), it’s long been rumoured that the actor is looking to hang up his cowl for good. Of course, this has led to fans casting doubt over him returning for upcoming solo film The Batman, wondering if perhaps he’ll walk before the project gets off the ground.

It’s definitely possible, but according to John Campea, who previously broke the scoop that Affleck was looking to leave the role earlier in the year, there’s already a contingency plan in place if that were to happen. He claims that Hollywood insiders have told him that The Batman director Matt Reeves has a specific person in mind who he’s ready to call in the event of Affleck hanging up the cape and cowl.

Campea explained the following on his YouTube show:

“I’m hesitant to say anything, but I talked to a Hollywood producer yesterday and they gave me the name of who Matt Reeves wants [to replace Ben Affleck] as Batman. And, I’ve got to be honest with you, that name caught me a little bit by surprise. I called somebody else later in the day, saying: “Hey, I heard this, is there any validity to this?” And they said: “Well, Matt does want him…” But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. There’s been no movement or anything like that.”

He then went on to say that he believes this supposed recast would be a simple swapping of actors that would not be referenced within the universe, much like how Val Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton for 1995’s Batman Forever (and how George Clooney replaced Kilmer for 1998’s Batman & Robin). Campea also ruled out the idea that DC will use the upcoming Flashpoint movie to change the timeline to explain the new actor.

“I think it’s going to be a pure recast. I don’t think they’re going to do anything terribly convoluted with Flashpoint.”

This is intriguing news, to say the least. In the past, fans have thrown around individuals like Jon Hamm, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender as potential replacements, but Campea’s surprised reaction to the name suggests it’s not one of those more obvious choices. Our best guess is that DC will go for a much smaller star this time, seeing as they need someone who’ll be happy to sign up for several movies. But really, it could be anyone.

All we know for sure right now is that Ben Affleck definitely stars as Batman in Justice League, which is out in theaters this Friday.