Ben Affleck, the star behind Batman in the DC Snyderverse, confirms that he won't direct for James Gunn's new DC Universe.
Affleck recently took part in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he shot down speculation about him directing a Batman movie in the future. He claimed he had no intention of taking charge of a project in Gunn's new franchise reboot. "I would not direct something for the Gunn DC. Absolutely not," claimed Affleck. The actor further stated that he held nothing against Gunn but had no interest in directing a movie "the way they're doing that." He still spoke positively about the franchise's future, claiming he was "sure he's going to do a great job."
Ben Affleck's Batman in the DCU
There have long been rumors of Affleck directing a solo Batman movie, thanks to his seeming interest in the project and his critically acclaimed turn in the director's chair for movies like Argo and The Town. The actor's rendition of Bruce Wayne will soon appear in the upcoming The Flash movie, with the same interview revealing that his screen time in the film will be minimal. He first appeared as Batman in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before going on to reprise the role in both versions of Justice League and an uncredited cameo in Suicide Squad.
"I did finally figure out how to play that character [Batman], and I nailed it in The Flash," Affleck said. "For the five minutes I'm there, it's really great. A lot of it is just tone. You've got to figure out, what's your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman. And by the way, I like a lot of the stuff we did, especially the first one [Batman v Superman]."
Which DCEU Stars Will Appear in Gunn's DC Universe?
Gunn's DCU reboot has left many stars of the current canon unsure of their status in the superhero world, including Affleck's Batman. The mostly lukewarm reception of the recently released Shazam! Fury of the Gods put a question mark on Zachary Levi's future involvement, despite Gunn's positive review of the movie. Despite her characters' popularity, Gal Gadot's classic turn as Diana Prince is also up in the air, as there is no clear confirmation that she has a future in Gunn's universe.
The Flash hits theaters on June 16, while Shazam! Fury of the Gods is still playing.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter