UPDATE: Casey Affleck clarifies his comments on The Batman and Ben Affleck's involvement. 

Ben Affleck won't be starring in The Batman according to his brother Casey. It's almost four years since Ben was cast as the DCEU's Bruce Wayne, ahead of his big screen debut in Batman v Superman. Since then he cameoed in Suicide Squad, was referenced in Wonder Woman and is set to take center stage again in this November's Justice League. But what everyone's waiting for is The Batman.

The solo outing for Batfleck has been the subject of much turbulence. Originally set to write and direct in addition to starring, the Oscar-winner has taken a step back over the past year, after much publicity handing over the behind-the-camera role to Planet of the Apes maestro Matt Reeves. Along the way, rumors have been rampant that Affleck will be hanging up the cape and cowl to bow out of the franchise early. The latest rumors sparked just before this year's SDCC, to which the actor vehemently denied in Hall H. However, his brother has some other things to say.

Speaking on WEEI Sports Radio to promote A Ghost Story, Casey Affleck talked about his brother's performance and hinted that he wasn't going to be starring in the solo Batman film. You can read his quote and see the video below.

"I thought he was an OK Batman. No, I thought he was great. He was great. He’s a hero, so he had something to channel and work with there. But he’s not going to do that movie, I don’t think. Sorry to say. Is that breaking news? Because I was just kind of making that up, I don’t know."

First things first, let's address that "making up" line as that's going to be the major point of contention in this story as it develops. If you listen to the original audio, Casey is his usual reserved self when discussing his brother and is very matter of fact when stating, despite Ben's hard work on Dawn of Justice (and Justice League), he's not doing the standalone film. It's only when the hosts react saying it's new info that he takes that step back - one that, crucially, as delivered is not a rebuttal.

We're not saying that negates his comments but it's definitely not total indication he's actually made something up. Indeed, if someone is going to know the truth behind the speculation, it's Batfleck's brother. This is unconfirmed, so any discussion must bear that in mind. At the same time, everything about Casey's statement fits with the previous reports and its causality only really lines up with that. Short of it all: it's another piece of the puzzle.

Of course, this would beg the question why Affleck said he wasn't going anywhere at Comic-Con, which was certainly treated as the last word on the matter. That's the biggest suggestion Casey's spoken out of turn, although it's not egregious to think Ben was toeing the PR line.

If it is true, then all sides of the DC fanbase will know what this means thanks to the six months worth of speculation that has happened since these rumors first gained real traction. That said, recently the DCEU has looked to be making steps away from Gotham regardless; while this news is certainly shocking and puts The Batman once again under scrutiny, the films confirmed at SDCC saw Warner Bros. attempting to diversify.

We'll be sure to keep you updated on all Ben Affleck and The Batman news as it comes in.

Next: How Can WB Recast Ben Affleck’s Batman in the DCEU?

Source: WEEI Sports Radio

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