THE FLASH: Ben Affleck Is Officially Returning As BATMAN In The 2022 Movie

Vanity Fair has revealed that Ben Affleck is set to reprise the role of Batman in The Flash movie that will race into theaters in 2022. With the Fastest Man Alive confirmed to travel between different realities in the DC Multiverse, it's already been reported that Michael Keaton will be back as the Caped Crusader, but we never expected to see this version of the hero again. 

Affleck received the script for the movie last week, and has now agreed to star in the project.

"He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie," director Andy Muschietti explains. "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 filmmaker later added that Keaton's Batman will have a "substantial" part, but it wouldn't work for the Flash to meet another Dark Knight without "the original" being part of the proceedings. "He’s the baseline," the director notes. "He’s part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure. There's a familiarity there."

In the same interview, producer Barbara Muschietti reveals that she was surprised Affleck was happy to return as Batman given past comments he made about playing the character, but noted that "he’s now in a very different time in his life. Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman. It's a pivotal role, but at the same time it’s a fun part."

Again, this is news we never saw coming, but Affleck's Batman will now hopefully get the farewell he deserves, and who knows what else this could lead to down the line.

Are you excited for more Batfleck in the DC Extended Universe?