Ben Affleck opens up about his exit as the Caped Crusader in The Batman. After debuting the character to much public scrutiny in Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and reprising the role in Justice League, rumors quickly began that he was actively trying to find a way out of the gig. Despite that, many fans that were fond of his interpretation hoped that speculation about his departure wasn't true. But the persistent rumors were finally confirmed earlier this month when it was announced that the Matt Reeves-directed flick will feature a brand new actor playing the iconic DC hero.

When Affleck first boarded the DCEU, there were already plans of a Batman standalone that he would have starred in, written, and directed. This excited a lot of fans considering his work in the Academy Award-winning film, Argo. But after a while, it was announced that he was stepping down as writer and director, paving the way for Reeves' entry. At that point, Affleck was still expected to reprise Bruce Wayne, although with Warner Bros. remaining tightlipped on the matter despite countless queries, fans grew more concerned about the his future as the superhero. Now, after everything's done, the actor addresses his exit for the first time in an interview.

Related: The DCEU Wasted Ben Affleck's Batman (& His Other Skills)

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, Affleck was asked to talk about his Batman departure, to which the actor briefly gave an explanation for. According to him, it boiled down to him not knowing how to approach the character from a director's standpoint. And instead of forcing it, he decided to let someone else who has an idea how it should be done take over. By the end of the segment, he delivered the character's iconic line, but with a twist appropriate for the current situation saying "I'm not Batman."

"Yeah, I am. I have decided- I tried to direct a version of it, worked with a really good screenwriter, but couldn't come up with a version. Couldn't crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it and they got some really good people."

Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman

The actor has previously addressed The Batman actor switch shortly after official details for the film came to light. In his short statement, Affleck said that he's excited to see what Reeves is planning for the film. However, this is actually the first time that he talked about the reason for his departure. And given his clipped answer, this may be the last time fans will hear him talk about this issue.

The interesting part about Affleck's answer is that it doesn't really address his departure from the DCEU as an actor. Despite initial skepticism about his casting as the DC hero, he proved naysayers wrong by being one of the best parts of Batman V Superman. Unfortunately, his role in Justice League felt jilted and minimized. In any case at that time, everyone was still rooting for him to continue playing the role especially since he showed so much potential. Granted that Reeves wants a younger version of the character for The Batman, they are ways to play it that will both keep the filmmaker's and Affleck's version. Sadly, the actor is seemingly eager to move on from this chapter of his career.

More: Casting The New Batman Actor: The Best Ben Affleck Replacements

Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live

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