A lot of people were surprised when Ben Affleck ended his self-imposed retirement as Batman for not just the reshoots on Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but The Flash as well. His stint as the Caped Crusader coincided with a return of his battles against alcoholism, and the tortured production of the DCEU’s all-star epic under Joss Whedon’s stewardship had left him burnt out.
It’s clear that the actor had unfinished business with the character, and didn’t want his tenure as the iconic superhero to end in a blaze of ignominy. The Snyder Cut showcased a much better and more well-rounded performance from Affleck as Bruce Wayne and his costumed alter ego, although his role in The Flash isn’t expected to be particularly substantial.
In a new interview with Variety, the 49-year-old was asked how he felt about his impending return as the Dark Knight, and Affleck admitted that he had a lot more fun on The Flash than he did on Justice League.
“It was a really nice way to revisit that as the prior experience had been difficult. This was really lovely. Really fun. I had a great time. I’m probably under some gag order that I’m not even aware that I probably just violated and I’m now going to be sued. I love Ezra and I had a chance to see Jason, who’s over there making Aquaman.”
That’s great to hear, but it remains to be seen if the Scarlet Speedster’s solo debut marks the end of the line for the DCEU’s canonical Batman. Rumors abound that he’s going to live or die by the time The Flash ends, so 50% of them will be right, but we won’t find out for sure until November of next year.