Why Ben Affleck Returning To DC Is Less Likely Than Henry Cavill

The DC Extended Universe is going through a crucial moment of realignment that will likely bring back Henry Cavill as Superman, but the return of Ben Affleck's Batman is a more implausible scenario. Since the negative reception of Justice League, Warner Bros. opted to move away from director Zack Snyder's original DCEU slate and instead focus on standalone films like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Wonder Woman 1984. The two main issues that thwarted the original plans were the troubled production of Justice League and the departure of Ben Affleck as one of the key figures.

Affleck took up the cape and cowl in the DCEU for 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and made plans with Warner Bros. to write, direct, and star in a future Batman solo film in which he would be facing John Manganiello's Deathstroke. Batman v Superman underwent heavy criticisms, but Affleck endured another year until Justice League. Unfortunately, the team-up movie suffered several issues in its production, including the replacement of Snyder with The Avengers director Joss Whedon, which caused fans to campaign for the Snyder Cut of Justice League after its release. Ben Affleck then dropped out of the DCEU altogether and his Superman co-star Henry Cavill found trouble negotiating his contract for future installments.

More than two years after the release of Justice League, things have been improving for the DC movies. The Snyder Cut has been officially announced for an HBO Max release in 2021 and Henry Cavill is in talks to return to the DCEU. While his next appearance will not be in a Man of Steel sequel, his resurgence is now more certain. The same cannot be said about Ben Affleck, since his solo movie has been replaced by The Batman, a Robert Pattinson-led reboot that's already in production. This is not a worry for Affleck, however, now that his career has taken a fresh direction. Affleck's performance in The Way Back received good reviews, suggesting a prompt comeback and a bright future ahead. He also has seven credits in forthcoming films, four of them as a producer, and his passage through alcohol rehab has proved successful.

Independently from the judgment of his Batman portrayal, it's difficult to dispute Affleck's exit from the role. The actor had a previous negative experience with the ill-fated Daredevil movie back in 2003 and decided to not take up any superhero role afterward. It was Snyder's vision for a tougher, more seasoned Batman that convinced him to try again, but the unfortunate circumstances of his DCEU appearances led to the waste of his performance. Besides, Affleck has been vocal about why he left the DCEU. His personal life went through a particularly challenging period during his stint as the Caped Crusader, and he also has highlighted how he didn't enjoy filming the flawed Justice League.

Although the DC Extended Universe is shaping up to bring its fans many more positive surprises, it's safe to say that Ben Affleck is the least likely figure to make a comeback. Still, the same way the Snyder Cut of Justice League was wrongly thought to not exist, Affleck's return could happen one day, especially if he returns for additional work on Justice League. Only time and the success of the upcoming releases in the DCEU will tell which other real-life twists will arise along the way.

More: Batman v Batman: Who Will Win In 2021, Affleck or Pattinson?