UPDATE: 2022/11/21 13:25 EST BY JOSEPH BAXTER
Ben Affleck's DCU Return Up in the Air Due to His New Exclusivity Deal
This article initially stated that Affleck's deal would only see him appear in Artists Equity-produced films. However, its exclusivity was actually just for his work as a filmmaker.
Fans hoping for Ben Affleck to return as Batman in the DC Universe were left worried after news of the star's exclusive deal with Artists Equity, which he co-founded with Matt Damon.
As reported by The New York Times, Affleck confirmed that his work as a filmmaker will be released exclusively through Artists Equity going forward. Likewise, Damon is committed to produce and appear in an unspecified number of films for the company. "This is the next act of my career for a long, long time," he said. Affleck co-founded Artists Equity with his longtime friend and collaborator Damon, focused on more equitable profit sharing among its productions' cast and crew members. Yet, between Affleck's position as Artists Equity's chief executive and his commitment to make films for the company, fans wonder if he'll have time to return as Batman. However, Warner Bros. hasn't publicly commented on the actor's future in the role, which means talk of his exit from the DCU should be treated as pure speculation for now.
Regardless, fans still haven't seen the last of Affleck's Dark Knight since the star has already filmed material for two upcoming films, The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which are both due to hit theaters in 2023. Reports from The Flash test screenings in April 2022 claim that Affleck's Batman gets as much as 20 minutes of screen time. Meanwhile, Aquaman himself Jason Momoa had kind words about reuniting with his Justice League co-star to film what will reportedly serve as the Lost Kingdom's post-credits scene.
Warner Bros. Boss Talks the DCU's Future
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav touched on Batman's DCU future during a recent discussion panel appearance, making it clear that Affleck or otherwise, the end of multiple Bat-actors is drawing to a close. "I think over the next few years, you're going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there’s not going to be four Batmans," Zaslav said, alluding to the current situation where Affleck effectively shares the part with Robert Pattinson and Michael Keaton. The studio boss added that DC Studios co-chairs and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have nearly completed their roadmap for the DCU's new direction, which Gunn subsequently confirmed on Twitter.
Intriguingly, Gunn also waded into the Batman discussion, dismissing recent reports that a new actor had already been cast to replace Affleck. According to Gunn, the only reliable sources of information regarding the future of the DCU are himself and Safran, and he accused anyone who says otherwise of "bullshitting."
Source: NY Times