Ben Affleck may be returning to the DC Universe at some point in the future, but this time it will be in the director's chair.Per The Hollywood Reporter, "[DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran] recently met with Batman actor Ben Affleck to discuss the possibility of him directing for them in the future, according to sources familiar with the conversation. No deal is in place for him to helm a DC feature at this stage."Gunn later confirmed these reports himself. Just hours after THR broke the news, Gunn wrote the following on Twitter, "Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project." When a fan responded with, "Please tell me this isn't an origin movie," Gunn simply wrote, "No way."
Affleck is set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Andy Muschietti's The Flash and in a cameo appearance in James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, both of which are due out in 2023. The Oscar-winner is expected to step away from the role after his cameo in the latter.
For many years following his debut as the Dark Knight in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Affleck was attached to write, direct and star in a Batman standalone film opposite Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke. He later stepped down as director in 2017 and was replaced with Matt Reeves. After extensive delays and rumors that Affleck was looking to exit the project altogether, the film was officially scrapped in 2019, with Reeves going on to develop the Robert Pattinson-led The Batman.
In addition to his onscreen work, Affleck is a highly-decorated writer, director and producer who has won several major awards for his efforts behind the camera. He remains the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, which he won for Good Will Hunting with co-writer Matt Damon in 1998. His directorial resume includes Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo and Live By Night. For Argo, he received the Directors Guild Award for Best Director and an Oscar for Best Picture as a producer on the film. His next directorial outing is a feature about how Nike secured its partnership with basketball legend Michael Jordan, which will reunite him with Damon.
The DCU Faces Major Departures
According to the Hollywood Reporter, "[Gunn and Safran] also had conversations with filmmaker Patty Jenkins, who no longer will be moving forward with a third Wonder Woman film." Jenkins recently set the record straight on her departure from Wonder Woman 3, dispelling previous reports claiming that she had walked away from the project after refusing to perform script rewrites. "I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time," she said in a statement on Twitter. "DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now."
Gunn also revealed that he is developing a Superman project focusing on the Man of Steel's early days as a reporter for the Daily Planet, which will not include Henry Cavill. The Man of Steel actor, who recently made a cameo appearance as Superman in Black Adam before announcing his return to the role on Instagram a few days later, confirmed that he will no longer be wearing the red and blue tights moving forward. That said, Gunn also expressed excitement in the possibility of working with Cavill in the future.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, via Twitter