Ben Affleck won't have to toil away with Batman-related duties any longer. I know, you've most certainly heard some variation of that many times before, but I've been informed to tell you that this is the for real official word on the matter. At least, it'll be considered that until studios and/or the actors involved release for real official statements of their own.
Nestled within the Varietyreport that alerted us The Flash had been delayed is this little update on Affleck and Henry Cavill:
[Warner Bros.] is not moving forward with Batman and Superman movies featuring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, respectively. It is expected to recast the Dark Knight with a different actor.
Exactly zero percent of that should come as a shock to anyone who's even remotely been paying attention to DC developments over the past year or more. Just last month, for example, a Warner Bros. spokesperson released a statement claiming that "no current decisions" had been made regarding upcoming Superman entries and that their relationship with Cavill remains "unchanged." The statement was released in response to reports that Cavill was done with the character for good following Shazam! negotiations.
As for Affleck, the wording in this latest update—"recast the Dark Knight with a different actor," namely—sounds damn definitive. Then again, so have a lot of other supposed updates on the status of Affleck's brush with Batmannery. Back in November, he followed another round of exit rumors by reminding fans of the proven temporariness of the role. "You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it," he told USA Today at the time.
Frankly, the Powers That Be's apparent dedication to leading fans on is downright obnoxious at this point.
