With the upcoming release of The Flash next year, among the many controversial aspects of the film, and DC/Warner Bros,(from the controversies of Ezra Miller, the seeming lack of Henry Cavill’s Superman, etc.) one of the most notable aspects that has drawn the most attention were reports that it would be Ben Affleck’s last major performance as the Caped Crusader, and that he would be replaced by Michael Keaton, returning from Batman(1989) and Batman Returns, taking his place as the DCEU’s Batman in Affleck’s stead.
In his DCEU debut film Batman V Superman : Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s performance was positively received, despite the darker characterization of the iconic hero receiving mixed reviews. While the Ultimate Edition added in many scenes which better explained the actions the character took, it wasn’t enough to save reception of the character by the time of the theatrical cut of Justice League in 2017. Given that films notorious behind the scenes issues, it didn’t come as a huge surprise when reports suggested that Affleck wished to be done with the DCEU. Even after the release of the superior Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which to many people redeemed Affleck’s portrayal, given the character’s journey of attoning for his mistakes in Batman V Superman, it had been believed that Affleck was done with the role. In a way, it’s not too different from what happened with Andrew Garfield’s iteration of the iconic Marvel web-slinger, which to many was redeemed with 2021’s Spider-Man : No Way Home.
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Hence, for many, it came as a surprise when it was confirmed that Ben Affleck would return for some additional scenes to be included in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. That said, it’s not expected for him to have too major a role in the film, given the majority of the movie has already been filmed. Still, for fans hoping to see more of Affleck in some capacity, it comes as a minor win.
As for what this means for the future of the DCEU, it’s frankly uncertain. On top of the many controversies surrounding certain stars like Amber Heard and Ezra Miller, fans eagerly await for information regarding whether or not Henry Cavill will return as Superman, especially after an incident at SDCC when Dwayne Johnson was booed by the crowd after being unable to answer whether or not he’d face said Cavill’s iteration of the character. The popular wrestler has indicated that he wishes to face of against the Man of Steel, Cavill’s iteration in particular, at some point, and as it stands, it seems as though the DCEU is setting this character up to be an important figure moving forward, in particular hinting towards a showdown with Shazam in the future.
Regardless, even if Affleck won’t be appearing for much longer, the fact that the character will have a bit more screen time before being sent off will be a welcome sight for fans.
Graduated from Point Park University in 2021 with a Degree of English Creative Writing.
Author of the Chronicles of a Broken World Series
Avid Nerd and Enjoyer of All Things Fun and Thoughtful
