Ben Affleck will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023. Affleck first made his debut as Batman in the DC Extended Universe’s 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he appeared alongside Henry Cavill’s Superman. He later had an uncredited cameo in Suicide Squad. After portraying the character in Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Affleck announced he was quitting the role of Batman.
His retirement was mainly the result of him being unhappy as the character. He didn’t find it interesting, and he specifically found Justice League to be one of his worst experiences, both professionally and personally. Things certainly were chaotic on the set after Zack Snyder stepped down as director due to a family a tragedy and was subsequently replaced by Joss Whedon, who would later be accused of fostering a hostile workplace. Meanwhile, personally, Affleck was finalizing his divorce with Jennifer Garner and struggling with addiction.
After Justice League, Affleck completely stepped away from The Batman, which he was initially slated to star in and direct. This led to Matt Reeves taking over and Robert Pattinson being cast as Batman. Hence, fans were very surprised when Affleck later agreed to reprise his role for The Flash. He’ll be starring in the film alongside Michael Keaton, who is also reprising his role as Batman. The two Batmans suggests that The Flash may feature some time travel and Flashpoint elements. Affleck would later reveal his experience on The Flash was much better than prior experiences. Still, given his history as Batman, many expected The Flash would officially be his last appearance as the hero.
Affleck returning as Batman for Aquaman 2
On July 28, 2022, Jason Momoa revealed that Affleck was returning as Batman for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Momoa, who stars as Aquaman, took to Instagram to share a cute photo of himself and Affleck, who appear very happy to be reunited. In the caption, he confirmed that Bruce and Arthur (a.k.a. Aquaman) were reunited again. He also mentioned that Affleck’s involvement in the film had seemingly been outed when a group touring the studio spotted him. To avoid the news being leaked, Momoa decided to announce it himself. Check out Momoa’s post below:
Affleck’s appearance in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was certainly unexpected. However, with reports that he had a better experience while filming The Flash, perhaps his perspective on Batman has changed. For now, we don’t know if this means that he is officially back as the DCEU’s Batman and will appear in further films. However, in 2023, we will see him as the character again for both The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. What he decides to do with the role after these films remains to be seen.
(Via: THR, featured image: Warner Bros.)
