I get it, totally.
It’s a way for Ben Affleck to finally have his “cool” exit from the role of Batman, and allow Warner Bros. to reset and move on with some sort of DC on film “shared universe.”
According to VANITY FAIR, Ben Affleck will reprise his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the upcoming THE FLASH/FLASHPOINT movie.
Here’s how director Andy Muschietti describes Affleck’s Bat-Role in this film…
He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before, It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.
The VF article also pretty much confirms that Michael Keaton is returning as an aged Bruce Wayne/Batman in what the director calls a “substantial” part.
From what I’ve been told, Keaton’s old Bruce will become the main “DCEU” Batman and will serve as a mentor to a successor in subsequent films. Whether that’s Batgirl, Nightwing, or even some sort of BATMAN BEYOND adaptation remains to be seen.
After reading the VF article, it seems as if Ben’s Batman, while important, isn’t one of the film’s main characters — and that’s more than OK. As I said, it’s going to give Ben a cool way to segue out of the role, and not have BATMAN v SUPERMAN and JUSTICE LEAGUE define his time as The Dark Knight.
Hell, here’s hoping they actually make him a hero this time and not a pill-popping, boozing, bad guy-branding, murdering asshole.
If you’re a longtime and regular BOF reader, you know that not only have I LONG been a Ben Affleck fan, but someone who championed his casting as Batman back in 2013 (when a lot — like, A LOT — of “fans” had a meltdown about it), and was ecstatic beyond belief that he was going to write/direct/star in a solo Batman movie.
My problem with Ben’s Batman is not with Ben Affleck, but with the Batman we got in BvS.
Since the folks responsible for that will not be a part of THE FLASH/FLASHPOINT — Thank Goodness! — I’m more than OK with Batfleck returning and finally getting a final Bat-hurrah. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
