Oh, 2020! You are a funny funny creature. Ben Affleck is returning as Batman. That’s right. Never say never. Affleck will don the Bat-suit once more as part of Ezra Miller’s The Flash movie, making him the second Batman to appear along with Michael Keaton’s version.
So what brought this on? Director Andy Muschietti tells Vanity Fair…
“His Batman has a dichotomy that is very strong which is his masculinity—because of the way he looks, and the imposing figure that he has, and his jawline —but he’s also very vulnerable,” Muschietti said. “He knows how to deliver from the inside out, that vulnerability. He just needs a story that allows him to bring that contrast, that balance.”
“He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before. It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.”
The film is said to be based on the “Flashpoint” storyline, in which Barry Allen messes up the timeline by going back to save his mother. That opens up the door for all of the different Batmen he’ll be encountering.
But could there be more to it? You may really the first rumors ever about The Flash were that it would be used as a means of writing out Ben Affleck’s version of Batman. While the film has undergone numerous rewrites and directors since, it seems that part of it has stuck. Things have changed, however. Affleck is in a much better place in his life than he was a few years ago, and maybe this is a means of keeping him around for the long haul?
In what capacity, though? Robert Pattinson has the role nailed down in The Batman, although that takes place in a separate universe from the DCEU. Let’s not forget Affleck was originally supposed to star in, direct, and write that movie all by himself. Perhaps he takes on role similar to Robert Downey Jr. in the MCU after Iron Man 3? He can be a cornerstone without having everything heaped on his shoulders?
All the more reason to tune in to DC FanDome this weekend because this isn’t over by a long shot.
