HR News: Ben Affleck leaving soon as the DCEU Batman?

http://superheronews.com/ben-afflecks-batman-futures-in-doubt-and-warner-bros-wants-to-address-it-in-a-movie/

Holly Wood reporter is reporting that WB is going to gracefully find a way In universe to address and let Ben Affleck leave as the Batman.

yeah i agree, they should do a soft reboot. But i hope he doesn't leave. does it say why he is leaving?

I wouldn't mind a reboot, honestly.

Just saw this. I think they can pass it off as Bruce being killed off and one of the Robins taking over. Sad really as my favourite thing about BVS (besides him killing) was Batman and his world. Though I can understand since he's pushing fifty and the physical demands of the role are intense. Case in point with Hugh Jackman. Arguably they should've waited on doing TDKR and cast a similarly aged Bats for their first team up and the Justice League.

I loved his Batman, but honestly if his heart isn't in the role, replace him. Have Nightwing take over or something.

@soldierofel: He is only 44. I don't think he is leaving due to the physical demands. I think its a combination of other factors which made him just say **** it. This news(if its true) is coming out awfully close to Batman's new director saying he didn't like the script Affleck came up with and was starting completely over. I think he's just lost interest.

Oh..so they've turned this merry-go-round ride back on. ..this ride is awesome ?

That is true but even then there where reports that he disliked the intense training regimen for BVS. But I agree with you. Arguably, Reeves' comments probably didn't help his mood, that and he might not have recovered from BVS's negative press. I guess we shall see. I doubt there will be further news until after JL and it's reception.

Wouldn't blame him. Waking up every morning ti a new puff piece editorial about you that may or may not be true can be exhausting.

@ready_4_madness: Few times you're right but the Holly Wood Reporter has a good track record....then again could just be fuss as we get closer at comic con.

@righteous300: Well he is an actor and a fairly well known one. He has gotta to be used to that stuff by now.

If this turns out to be true I'll loose most of my interest in DCEU.

RIP DCEU....Yah this is a HOT MESS....The DCEU is collapsing in on itself. They've had some bad luck, and no WW can't hold it up by herself.

There's no way they'll stop using Batman, they'll just recast him, like how they recast Hulk and War Machine in the MCU.

I'm guessing it's his mental health, he's not been doing well lately.

@ready_4_madness: LOL... BATMAN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Shitty Hulk Movies....

It's like comparing a $200 bottle of whine to something I would pick up at the grocery store. If I dropped the cheap stuff nobody would care. If I spent $200 on whine and dropped the bottle, I might cry my eyes out. Hulk can't even get his own movie in the MCU. Rufflo is like the 6th banana in the pecking order. Also this isn't there only set of problems, but it maybe the straw that breaks the camels back. This isn't just about one character being replaced this is about a series of misfortunes and some weren't things they had any control over.

@ready_4_madness: This would be like if RDJ had to quit right after Avengers. In fact it's worse, they said Ben might already be done right after JL. Which would be 2 movies of being attached to him, then nothing...that sucks.

Im honestly worried. I think they can recover easily by just recasting but this isnt good. I hope Batfleck stays for The Batman atleast. That movie has the potential to be truly amazing. If we go by Reeve's track record a 90+ RT score, 8/10 avg rating, an 1B at the box office is highly likely.

Hope this blows over :(.

Affleck is going through a lot though. Alcoholism, depression, his passion project bombing, his lack of interest and passion in Batman, etc. I dont think Affleck ever intended to be in this much movies. In all the interviews with dceu, every other actor looks happy and is very passionate about their characters while Affleck seems relatively uninterested and looks more sullen than happy during interviews.

I'll miss him... best live action Batman.

If JL tanks then Affleck will likely leave right after. If it does well, he may stay for The Batman

Here is what I would do if I was dc

Bruce die at the end of JL then post credits we see a dark figure with Bruce's body. The figure then places the body into the Lazarus pit. Introduce the league of shadows and ras, Bruce gets brought back to life as a younger new actor with the same memories. It could work...

@thelastdragonborn they should have Henry Cavil play both Bruce and Superman lol. A lot of artists like to draw them similarly as if they look the same. I think it'd be funny

I heard, unfortunately he's in rehab for alcoholism plus he has marriage issues. Hope he gets better, not just for the sake of Batman movies, but because I'd hate to imagine the stress he's probably going through.

I can get behind this.

Yep :(

@itouchedtheboat: Yeah Affleck is going through a lot. What if, god forbid, he dies during production for a movie as a combo of both production stress and his alcoholism and depresseion? Im sure the movie would still get made and would probably get a boost from his death, but it still would screw up lots of WB's plans for future movies especially considering how important he is.

And not to mention, affleck is well... dead so that will be hard for him

Casting Affleck was always stupid the guy is to old especially when your creating a movie universe and this movies take years to make

Lol this is BS

This

Even though I liked Affleck in BvS I have to agree with you. It didn't make sense to cast a old Batman in the beginning of a shared universe. Either reboot the whole DCEU with Flashpoint or just make him younger by using Lazarus Pit.

Funny how they dropped this the day beforw the panel

I think he's past the point of marriage issues. Garner filed for divorce a couple months ago after they tried to reconcile and he's been seen with some other chick since then. I do think Affleck does have semi thin skin when it comes to criticism though. He might be ready to just become a full time director with less acting from here on out.

I dont think they should reboot. That would be dumb. DCEU still has Aquaman, Shazam, Batgirl, Nightwing, and other movies ready to go. It would be dumb to reboot just because of Batman. They can just recast Batman or do something with Flashpoint/Lazarus OR worst case scenario (sans reboot), Have Nightwing take the cowl to Batman.

This will all hinge on the success of Justice Leage. If that tanks hard, they MIGHT reboot (but probably not) after Aquaman and stop Shazam's production. But if its a decent commercial and critical success, the DCEU will be fine.

Worst case scenario (barring reboot): JL Tanks, Affleck leaves immediately after, DC has Nightwing become the next Batman

Best Case scenario : JL is a hit. Affleck stays for atleast The Batman and maybe JL2 or DC does a more graceful recast of Batman via Flashpoint

I don't love Affleck's Batman, but I would rather him stay in the role than recasting someone else and pretending he's the same Bruce Wayne from the other movies.

How about: Bruce dies in JL or some movie. A Nightwing movie follows. It ends with Dick picking up the cowl and deciding that Gotham needs a Batman. Matt Reeves' Batman movie comes next, starring Dick as Batman instead of Bruce.

WHAT?!?! NO! first Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie, now them? That sucks, man. I hope they work it out :(

@scott_summers52: They should kill him off in Justice League then bring him back via Lazarus pit, reborn and young

I'd be okay with this. Might need a in universe way to explain it to the general public of Gotham and earth but then again.

Making Batman old at the start of a new universe was effing stupid.

I wouldn't mind Nightwing taking over, but plz dont cast Zach efron as him. I actually like Affleck as Batman smh. It is just sad. Hopefully, he can recover and still stay. There are plenty of ways to make the recast more smooth in the DCEU though.

WB doesn't need to explain changing Bat-men any more than Marvel did when they switched from Edward Norton to Mark Ruffalo. Just swap out a Bruce and move on.

@handofprometheus: Zach Snyder really, REALLY wanted to do TDKR tho!

How about a variation of that.

Bruce Wayne goes crazy and attempts to kill the Justice League. To stop him, the Flash time travels and takes a teenage Bruce Wayne from the past into the present. Old Bruce is replaced by teenage Bruce. And they can call this movie "Justice League: The Crossing."

Wait a minute, that sounds familiar...

Batman isn't dying in the Justice League.

I get where Snyder came from. I blame WB more. I dont think WB had ever intended for a fully fledged cinematic universe lmao.

This is why you dont hire A- listers. Marvel knows this. Hire some B or C lister who needs the role for his career

No...No.....NOOOOO.

I bet he's gonna look completely miserable when they do the JL panel. Based on this "news" I doubt he even would want to be there, especially when this story and the rumors will be on everyone's mind while he's up there.

Affleck has had it rough the past year or so. He needs a win like JL doing well or something like that. Hopefully he can get that win soon.

@the_stegman: I actually don't blame him but it was too soon for one. A batman/superman public enemies adaption would've been better.

What WB needs to do is introduce New 52 Dionysium and have Bruce use it. They could make Batman younger and recast for a younger Bruce if he leaves.

I'm not buying this right now. However, Ben has been having a lot of crap go on in his personal life since taking on the role and the stress might get to him (the reason why I think he dropped out of directing). Even though I like him in the role, in hindsight, WB should have cast a guy with less personal issues and a smaller profile actor who would have appreciated the role more.

I don't think it is a physical issue. In the suit, they can easily have a stuntman do all the dangerous stuff and Ben just needs to talk and be Bruce Wayne. RDJ is like 10 years older than Ben and is still in the MCU (and because of the Batsuit, Ben doesn't need to do anything more physical than him)

The biggest problem I see is how can they change actors without it being incredibly jarring. this isn't like when Marvel switched actors for Rhodey, Affleck is playing the Batman, the crown jewel of DC's properties. Will they just recast and not mention it (like they do with 007)? Will they kill off Bruce and have Dick take over (which I don't think the general public would be receptive to)? or will they do some in story shenanigans to explain the cast change (universe-wide retcon? death and ressurrection?)