Ben Affleck Wants Out of Batman (Allegedly)

In a recent appearance on Collider’s Movie Talk Youtube series, entertainment reporter John Campea shared that he had spoken to multiple sources connected to the film, all of whom confirmed that Ben Affleck was in talks to walk away from the role of the Caped Crusader. Apparently, these sources claim that Affleck is no longer satisfied with life under the cowl, and, if released from his contract, the Batman film would be his last appearance as the character. As with all rumors and hearsay, these claims should be taken with more than a grain of salt. All official communication from both Warner Bros and Affleck himself have been mostly positive, with the studio swearing up and down that they are happy with the latest rewrite of the script and Affleck assuring interviewers that he’s glad to play such a widely known character. But as anyone in Hollywood can tell you, the official word is fickle as all get out and can change at a moment’s notice. It would make sense for Affleck to be souring on the prospect of playing the Dark Knight a bit. Neither of the films he’s appeared in so far, Dawn of Justice or Suicide Squad, has been a huge hit with critics. To further complicate matters, his gangster flick pet project Live by Night floundered in theaters, only making back $20 million of its $65 million budget since its release. Throw in the fact that things have continued to go south in his home life as well, and it’s not hard to see why he would want to take a break from everything. No official word has been given, but we may be seeing a new face under the bat ears before too long.

Ben Affleck May Not Direct Solo Batman Film

Our first story of the year is picking up pretty much where 2016 left off - the DC Extended Universe being a hot mess! After thinly veiled shots by Flash actor Ezra Miller and Alien Covenant director Ridley Scott, the latest person to cast doubt on nobody’s favorite cinematic superhero universe is Batman himself. In a recent interview with British outlet The Guardian, Ben Affleck gave a lukewarm at best update on his upcoming batman film. When asked about the movie’s progress, Affleck acknowledged that there was still a project in existence but was pretty mum on when audiences would be seeing it, or even if he’d be in the director’s chair. The problem is fairly clear from this quote: “...it’s not a set thing and there’s no script. If it doesn’t come together in a way I think is really great then I’m not going to do it.” This is not the first time Affleck is on the record about the story lacking punch. Earlier reports covered how he pressured the studio to push the film’s release date back, unwilling to move forward with a story that didn’t work. Can’t really argue with his logic here; the DCEU’s movies haven’t exactly been praised for their storytelling up to this point, with critics slamming both Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad for confusing character choices, villains with questionable motives, and gaping plot holes. A lot has already been written about the chaotic writing process for these films, particularly Suicide Squad and its expensive reshoots, so I won’t rehash that here. The bottom line is Warner Bros. has a decision to make: stop rushing these movies out to make the exhausting release schedule, or resign themselves to telling half-baked stories with second- and third-choice directors.