A shakeup is on the horizon for the DCEU. Ben Affleck seemingly confirmed a report that claimed he would not return as Batman for the Caped Crusader’s next turn on the big screen.
Deadline reported on Wednesday, January 30, that the actor will be replaced in The Batman, which is set to be released on June 25, 2021. Writer and director Matt Reeves reportedly wants to take the franchise in a younger direction — meaning a younger star will be cast to play the titular role.
Affleck, 46, tweeted his support for the film on Wednesday. “Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life,” he wrote in response to the Deadline article, which claimed that he passed “the torch to the next generation of Bruce Wayne.”
The Oscar winner originally attached himself to the project as director and cowriter. However, Reeves, 52, took the reins in February 2017.
According to Deadline, casting for the new Batman is in the works.
Affleck made his debut as Bruce Wayne in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He went on to play the legendary superhero in 2016’s Suicide Squad and 2017’s Justice League.
The Gone Girl star, who has been open about his issue with alcohol abuse, checked into rehab for the third time in August 2018. “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle. Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram in October after his latest stint. “It is a full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family. … As I’ve had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure.”
News of Affleck’s departure from the DC Universe comes four months after Henry Cavill was rumored to be out as Superman. However, the Mission: Impossible – Fallout star, 35, seemed to deny the report when he shared an Instagram video of himself holding his action figure and wearing a Krypton T-shirt.
