Remember when Ben Affleck was all sad about Batman and effectively quit? Well, maybe he didn’t really especially mean it? After being confirmed to be returning for The Flash, it was thought the actor would be phased out, possibly thanks to the multiverse being torn open in that film. However, reports are now coming in that Ben Affleck Batman will also show up in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, leaving his future with the character far more open.
The news comes from an Instagram post from Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, who shared some photos of himself and Ben Affleck being adorable together. It looks like somewhat of a preemptive strike as it appears a WB lot tour caught the two actors together, and they figured (after what was most likely many layers of marketing approval) that they’d just tell everyone instead of allowing blurry camera photos to spread rumors. Whatever the reason, the cat is out of the bag well before we’ve learned much else about the film.
Affleck has basically had nothing nice to say about playing Batman since he decided to leave the character and not direct a planned solo Batman film. However, at the time he was playing the Caped Crusader, his life was basically falling apart. So maybe now, a few years removed and on steadier ground, he’s excited to hop back into the role. Or maybe he just likes doing the cameos where he doesn’t have to spend massive amounts of time getting jacked and putting his body through shit.
Affleck and Momoa are joined in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom by Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, and Nicole Kidman. The film is directed by James Wan and will release on March 17, 2023.
