With the news breaking that Ben Affleck will be back as Batman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom instead of Michael Keaton, it shook things up in the DC Extended Universe. However, while this might make some fans happy, bringing Affleck back might not be the best idea for the franchise's future. In fact, having Keaton return might not even be for the best, as it's time for the DCEU to move on from the Dark Knight for the time being.
The DCEU Needs a Break From Batman
Warner Bros. has relied on Batman for longer than any other superhero. While Superman made his big movie debut first, the Caped Crusader has been an almost constant since Tim Burton and Michael Keaton brought Batman to the big screen in 1989. Those early movies were all successful, even Joel Schumacher's critically panned fourth one, and then Christopher Nolan revived the character with his critically acclaimed Dark Knight Trilogy. And with Affleck showing up as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Bruce Wayne has been carrying the DC movie franchise on his shoulders for over 30 years now. But that might mean it's time for someone else to carry the load, at least in the DCEU.
It's not like DC fans will be without a Batman. People seemed to enjoy Robert Pattinson's turn as the Dark Knight, and there are rumors of the actor returning for another movie set in that universe. The Penguin HBO Max is also supposed to take place in Pattinson's Batman world, so there are plenty of stories for Dark Knight fans. There's also the Joker sequel coming out for fans who love that darker part of Batman's world. However, in the DCEU, there is plenty of room to play without bringing back Affleck, Keaton or another version of the hero.
It's Time to Use Batman's Family in the DCEU
Look at Titans on HBO Max or Batwoman on The CW to see how Batman's family of characters can thrive without Batman being a hero prowling the streets. In Titans, Dick Grayson left Batman and became a greater hero as Nightwing. And on Batwoman, Kate Kane took up the role of Batwoman when Batman disappeared. In both cases, the world needed a hero, and someone stepped up when Batman was gone. In the DCEU, heroes like Aquaman, Shazam and Wonder Woman have all seen success without needing Batman there to push them on. Even antiheroes like Peacemaker proved they could succeed without caring about Batman.
Unfortunately, Batgirl, which was an HBO Max movie, got canceled by Warner Bros. It would have been a chance to bring a new Batman hero into the world without bothering with the Dark Knight. However, Warner Bros. claims it wants to work with the creative team again, meaning there still may be hope for Barbara Gordon in the DCEU. The studio can also take a chance on bringing Nightwing to the big screen, as Christopher Nolan hinted at in his final Dark Knight movie. Having Dick fighting crime in Bludhaven could be yet another alternative for a Batman outing.
Things are changing thanks to the problems in The Flash's production. The movie was supposed to hit before Aquaman 2, but that won't happen, making Keaton's role make no sense. However, the first Aquaman movie didn't need Batman, so there is no reason that the second should use him. It is just a way to keep the franchise together, but that hasn't worked well. The DCEU needs to stop using Batman as a crutch, and the best way to do that is to remove him from the picture.