We’ll go to our graves arguing that Ben Affleck‘s Batman didn’t get a fair shake. We met this Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as a traumatized and regretful crimefighter at the end of a long career that’d seen him lose at least one Robin. But, by the time of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he’d gotten his groove back, helped save the planet, and resurrected Superman.
But, with Gunn eager to shake up the DCU, it appears that Affleck’s Batman is on the way out. He will play a large role in The Flash and may yet appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, though his days are clearly numbered and there’s no chance of a solo Batfleck adventure. So, if he’s bidding adieu to the DCU, why not make the leap to the distinguished competition? And Marvel fans already have a theory on who he could play:
We actually agree with this. Affleck has got the look, is a more talented actor than his critics claim, and would be able to deliver an intelligent and somewhat tortured Reed Richards. The real question is whether he’d want to take on another major franchise commitment because, as indicated in a recent interview, after being burned by DC he’s content to keep directing prestigious indie movies.
Fans seem to agree:
No more capes:
Should he stay behind the camera for now?
The arrival of the Fantastic Four is going to be the biggest MCU event in years, with the quartet sure to be at the heart of every major crossover event over the next few years. It’s set for release less than two years from now in February 2025, so we’re expecting a big unveiling sometime over the next few months, where we’ll learn who’s playing the Fantastic Four (and also potentially Doctor Doom) and where they’ve been all these years.
It’s vanishingly unlikely that Affleck would actually get this role, though if the stars somehow aligned and he ended up as the MCU’s Mr Fantastic, we wouldn’t complain.