The search for the next Batman is officially under way.Following almost a year of contradicting reports, it was announced last week that Ben Affleck is done playing the role of Bruce Wayne in Warner Bros.' so-called DC Extended Universe. While Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League both explored the Dark Knight as an aging crime-fighter well past his prime, Matt Reeves' upcoming solo Batman film is said to feature the character in his younger days and focus on the character's title as the "World's Greatest Detective."Almost as soon as news of Affleck's departure broke, names were thrown around for his replacement, with everyone from John Hamm to Ben Barnes as likely candidates. Some believed Warner Bros. might opt to cast an unknown actor in the role. However, if a new rumor is to be believed, that will not be the case.RELATED: These Are The Betting Odds For Ben Affleck's Batman ReplacementOn his personal Twitter account, Variety's Justin Kroll reports that Warner Bros. is looking to cast a known actor in the role. "Hearing studio wants a familiar face and Reeves has his certain age in mind and that age is very specific, like I said two names within 7 years of each other; 'Too young, too old,'" Kroll tweeted.What's more, if Kroll is to be believed, a casting announcement might come sooner rather than later. In the same tweet, he wrote that it "sounds like it could move faster than people would expect with the date set."

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Currently, it's unknown if Reeves' Batman film will take place in the DCEU or outside of it as a standalone feature. Warner Bros. currently has many Batman-related DCEU films in development, from Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which are set for release Feb. 7, 2020 and Aug. 6, 2021. Hopefully, this new Batman could appear in other projects as well, assuming he is part of the DCEU.

Next up on the DCEU docket is David F. Sandberg's Shazam!, which drops April 5. Written and directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman opens June 25, 2021.