The DC fandom erupted when it was officially revealed thatBen Affleck will be reprising his role as Batmanone final time in the upcoming soloFlashmovie. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Barbara Muschietti, who is attached to the project as a producer, revealed Affleck was surprisingly enthusiastic about putting on the Batcowl once again.
“There have been some all sorts of stories and things he said himself about having a very hard time playingBatman, and it had been difficult for him. I think it was more about a difficult time in his life. When we approached him, he’s now in a very different time in his life. He was very open to it, which was a bit of a surprise to us. It was a question mark… We are all human and go through great times in our lives and terrible times in our lives. Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman. Plus, he doesn’t have to carry the entire movie. It’s a pivotal role, but at the same time it’s a fun part.”
While many consider Affleck’s imposing turn as Batman the character’s best live-action interpretation yet, the actor himself has famously struggled to retain enthusiasm for the part. After coming onboard the DCEU forBatman V Superman, the negative critical reception to the film is said to have caughtBen Affleckby surprise.
Then came the even more critically-deridedJustice League, which was beset with many behind-the-scenes issues that made the filmmaking process difficult for everyone involved. Affleck was also going through a divorce in his personal life at the time. All of this led to the actor pulling out of his planned standaloneBatmanthat he was previously attached to write, direct, and star in. During a career retrospective, Affleck publicly admitted he had lost his passion for the role.
“I sort of had my fill of that [being Batman]. I found that I had kind of at some point lost my enthusiasm or passion for it. I was like ‘this should really be made by somebody for whom it’s their wildest dream come true.’ For me, it had become something different and it was clear to me that it was time to move on.”
Fortunately, Affleck seems to have reconsidered his previous position, at least to the extent of being up for returning in a supporting role as Batman forThe Flash. But for fans who are hoping this could be the beginning of a new era of DC movies featuring Batffleck, it might be advisable to temper expectations.
Instead of setting up future movies, Affleck’s role inFlashis meant to be a passing on of the mantle of the Bat to other actors. The film will introduce the concept of themultiverse into the DCEU, where multiple actors can play one character, each belonging to a different reality that all exist in the same multiverse. For Affleck, this will be the last time he will be putting on the Batcowl, and hopefully, ending things for his take the character on a high note. This news was first reported atVanity Fair.
