Justice League star Ben Affleck isn't sure about whether he will play the Caped Crusader again after starring in Matt Reeves' The Batman. The actor was noncommittal when asked if he would play the Caped Crusader five times total, with Justice League marking his third turn in the cape and cowl (after Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad).
After his initial casting as Batman prompted a swift backlash, Affleck won over many fans with his portrayal in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. That movie itself was quite divisive, but most fans agreed that both Affleck's Batman and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman were standout performances that were promising for the nascent DC shared cinematic universe. Affleck is currently set to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader again after Justice League in The Batman (a project that Affleck was originally going to also write and direct), but his future with the franchise beyond that remains up in the air for the time being.
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In an interview with Extra, Justice League co-star Jason Momoa voiced his desire to host Saturday Night Live, a gig that Affleck has taken on five times now. However, when the interviewer asked Affleck if he might play Batman five times too, Affleck's answer was noncommittal. See for yourselves in the video below:
Affleck's uncertainty in the future of DC's film slate has been a lingering issue for awhile now. Both Matt Reeves and Affleck have been complimentary of each other without ever actually outright confirming they'll be working together on The Batman. The assumption is still that Affleck will star in Reeves' solo film, but that's not set in stone at the moment - and as this Extra interview illustrates, Affleck isn't ready to commit to anything beyond that yet, either.
Affleck has endured well documented personal and professional problems over the last few years, so it's understandable that he may not feel comfortable fronting a mega-franchise like this right now. While fans would be disappointed to see him go sooner than later, there's a well established history of recasting Batman. The role has become the cinematic equivalent of James Bond, defined by no single actor. Then again, the interconnected DC films might not recast the role of Batman at all and simply shift the spotlight onto other Batman-related characters in the future, instead (see also: the in-development Batgirl and Nightwing movies). Hopefully Affleck sticks around for awhile longer - but if he doesn't, Batman will soldier on, one way or another.
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Source: Extra (via Batman-News)