THE BATMAN, THE SUICIDE SQUAD & DC SUPER PETS Get Release Dates; Ben Affleck Is No Longer The Dark Knight
Breaking news out of WB, as it's being reported that the studio has officially set a release date for Matt Reeves' The Batman, and we've also received word that Ben Affleck will not star in the picture...
Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros. has finally set a release date for Matt Reeves' long-awaited Batman standalone, which is tentatively titled The Batman. The film will open on June 25, 2021.
They've also confirmed that 2x Academy Award-winner Ben Affleck will not reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. He departs the role after three cinematic outings: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League.
The new film will focus on a younger Bruce Wayne - although it will not be an adaptation of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One - and while Affleck played a part in developing the film's story, he ultimately realized he wasn't the right fit for Reeves' new direction and decided to hang up the cape and cowl. The studio is reportedly already hard at work searching for their new Caped Crusader, so we could potentially get some news on that front a lot sooner than expected.
Additionally, the studio has dated a newly announced project, DC Super Pets, for May 21, 2021; and The Suicide Squad for August 6, 2021. While virtually nothing is known about the former, the latter has James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) penning the script and he's now been confirmed to direct. Many of the first film's all-star cast, including Will Smith (Deadshot) and Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), are expected to return.