Ben Affleck Reportedly Wants Out of Solo Batman Film

Could Ben Affleck be looking for an exit from playing Batman?

Ben Affleck as Batman
Warner Bros.

Image via Warner Bros.

Ben Affleck as Batman

For many, just watching the movies that make up DC's Extended Universe has people not wanting to deal with their product. Judging by the latest rumor about Ben Affleck's much-discussed solo Batman flick The Batman, it sounds like being in the movies has soured Affleck on their product.

For those who are unaware, The Batman has been in the news off and on for a number of reasons. Last summer, Affleck was the one who tweeted out Deathstroke footage that turned into Joe Managaniello officially joining DC's Extended Universe as Deathstroke, who would be the villain in the next Batman movie. That following October, Affleck announced that this film, The Batman, was something that he'd write, produce, and obviously star in. By the end of 2016, although the rumored plan was to start shooting The Batman in the Spring of 2017, Affleck told EW that he was working on the "sub par" script for The Batman, indicating that he was "not going to write and direct anything that I don’t think is good enough to be made."

At the top of 2017, Affleck warned fans that he might end up stepping down from directing The Batman, which became a reality after Matt Reeves, who directed 2008's Cloverfield, was reportedly offered the role.

Why do we bring up all of that? Primarily to say that this movie has felt like it was plagued early on.

The latest rumor about Affleck and The Batman comes to us from our friends over at Collider via their Collider Heroes show. Host John Compea dropped a scoop that, judging by the above timeline regarding Batfleck and The Batman, sounds about right. Emphasis is our own.

"Take this for what it’s worth. This is from a guy who has been burned twice by scoops, so please take this with a massive, massive grain of salt. Over the past four days, I’ve talked to three separate people, who are connected in some way, to what is going on over at Warner Bros. What all three have told me, nothing about whether the script was thrown out or whether they liked the script, nothing about the direction that Matt Reeves is taking it in, nothing about that. What has come out of the conversation with all three was this. They’re telling me that, Ben Affleck, make no mistake, he does want out. He doesn’t want to be Batman anymore. I have been told that Affleck is talking with Warner Bros. in an attempt to get out of being Batman. If they do not let him out of being Batman, that the stand alone Batman film that ultimately happens, will be the last time we see Affleck as Batman, because he apparently wants out."

What could possibly push Affleck to hang up the horns? It could be due to the panning that each of the DC films has been given by everyone who isn't a diehard DC fan. Maybe Affleck's the only one who wants to hop off the proverbial sinking ship before he gets in too deep? Maybe the rumblings about bad scripts and whatnot was too much for him?

The problem with rumors like this, though, are that he's already been Batman in a few flicks, and he's reprising the role for November's Justice League movie. Maybe he doesn't give a f*ck, but it feels weird to have him jump in to help usher this new phase of the DC Extended Universe only to dip out. That'd be a major blow to the franchise he's helped build (and put star power behind), but maybe he feels it's time to cut his losses?

Again, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but it is interesting.

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