Rumors are swirling that Ben Affleck may be on his way out as Batman. The Hollywood Reporter, citing a film industry source, claims Warner Bros. are seeking to push Affleck out of the role in favor of a younger actor.
The source claimed the studio plans to "usher out Affleck's Batman gracefully" for future projects, according to the Reporter.
But reports earlier in the year said Affleck himself wanted out. Film journalist John Campea claimed in February that he heard Affleck was considering stepping aside from playing the title role in planned standalone film The Batman from three people connected to the project.
Affleck was originally set to be both star and director of forthcoming film The Batman, but Matt Reeves later replaced him as director and scrapped Affleck's script.
Age may be a factor: Reeves is reportedly considering filming a Batman trilogy, and Affleck, 45, could be well into his 50s by the time the the later films of the series come to screen.
Warners' film studio chief Toby Emmerich denied the rumors, telling the Reporter: "Ben is our Batman. We love him as Batman. We want to keep him in the cowl as long as we can."
At the time of publishing, Affleck's publicist and Warner have not replied to Newsweek's request for comment.
Affleck will still play Batman in Justice League, scheduled for release in November, which he is promoting at ComicCon in San Diego over the weekend.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
