Once again, rumors about Ben Affleck leaving the role of Batman are resurfacing. With Affleck not willing to fully commit to the role, we’ve reached the point where having s different actor take the job is in everyone’s best interests.
Affleck’s career as Batman didn’t exactly start out well, with fans crying out in anger and confusion about Zack Snyder’s choice for the Caped Crusader. Since then, there have been many ups and downs for Affleck in the cape and cowl.
While his performance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was generally well received, the praise didn’t really have legs since the movie itself was critically panned. Given Affleck’s stellar record as a filmmaker, there was lots of excitement about what Affleck might do with the solo Batman film he was set to direct. However, after months of rumors, Affleck was eventually replaced as director by Matt Reeves but said he would remain as the star.
Since then, rumors about Affleck dropping out as Batman have continued to resurface seemingly every few weeks. This has left DC’s most popular character in limbo. While the initial plan for the next phase of the DCEU seemed to center around the Bat Family, the recent behind the scenes changes with Batgirl and Nightwing mean that this cinematic universe might be moving in a different direction.
With so much uncertainty surrounding both the actor playing Batman and what role Batman is going to play in the future of DC films, now might be the time to shake things up. It’s clear that Affleck is not as enthusiastic about playing the Dark Knight as he once was, and the underwhelming reception for both of the DC films he has starred in appears to be taking a toll.
While Live By Night wasn’t very good, Affleck is still a very well-respected director, and probably doesn’t need to stick around a film franchise that he has seemingly lost all enthusiasm for. Since there are a number of actors in Hollywood who would love the chance to play a character as iconic as Batman, it’s worth giving someone else a shot if Affleck’s heart isn’t in it anymore.
Recasting the role also opens up some interesting new possibilities. Maybe a character other than Bruce Wayne could take on the Mantle of the Bat? Even if this isn’t the case, recasting Bruce Wayne gives Warner Bros. a chance to go a bit younger, ensuring that we get several films with this new Batman.
Affleck managed to prove he could capably play Batman, a feat that many fans doubted he could pull off. While stepping down from the role after only a few years would be a bit underwhelming, Batman fans deserve some certainty after over a year of rumors and speculation.
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