Despite previous comments by DC Studios’ co-head James Gunn, former Batman star Ben Affleck has no interest in directing a DC movie. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star also talked about his upcoming The Flash appearance as the Dark Knight.
Affleck was cast as the World’s Greatest Detective for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the second chapter of Zack Snyder‘s ambitious DC Extended Universe storyline. Affleck’s interpretation of Batman got a lot of heat from fans who disliked a Dark Knight who killed his enemies with no second thoughts. Still, after 2017’s Justice League and 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, many of us learned to like Affleck’s grim take on the beloved character. However, since Warner Bros. Discovery named Gunn and Peter Safran as co-heads of DC Studios and gave them the task of creating a new cohesive storyline with DC characters, a new star is expected to don the cape and cowl.
With so many fans mourning Affleck’s retirement from Batman, Gunn quickly claimed the new DCU was considering giving the star the director role for a future project. That would make a lot of sense since Affleck was expected to direct The Batman before Matt Reeves took the heels of the project. Keeping Affleck in the new DCU could also help appease the fans who are still unsatisfied with the soft reboot. Unfortunately for DC Studios, Affleck seems uninterested in directing a future DCU movie. In Affleck’s words:
“I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
Everything we know about the new DCU so far indicates Gunn is involved with every future project across film and television and has even written both Superman: Legacy and Creature Commandos. So, it’s fair to assume Gunn and Safran want complete control over the DCU to ensure their new storyline will be free of plotholes and contradictions. While it’s easy to understand their approach, it seems like Affleck would prefer more creative control if he were ever to step up as director. It’s an understandable stance, even if it’s sad to learn that Affleck is parting ways with DC for good.
Ben Affleck Will Say Goodbye to Batman in The Flash
While Affleck won’t be directing any DCU project anytime soon, he still put on the Batman suit to show up in The Flash. Starring Ezra Miller as the Scarlet Speedster, The Flash promises to rewrite the DC timeline, giving Gunn and Safran the perfect excuse for their soft reboot of the universe. Thanks to Multiverse shenanigans, The Flash will feature multiple Batmen, with Michael Keaton and Affleck returning to the role. Commenting about his return in The Flash, Affleck said he “finally figured out how to play that character [Batman], and I nailed it in The Flash. For the five minutes I’m there, it’s really great.”
We’ll see Affleck as Batman for the last time once The Flash races to theaters on June 23, 2023.
