Ben Affleck to Officially Return as Batman in The Flash

Batfleck returns!

Joining Michael Keaton's Dark Knight, Vanity Fair confirms that Ben Affleck will return as Batman. The Flash movie is expected to draw on the Flashpoint comics which deals with the multiverse, making it possible to have more than one Batman in the film.

Following Affleck's apparent exit from the role and his standalone film, this report certainly comes as a shock but it is a delightful surprise for fans who have been hoping to see the actor return as the beloved DC character.

The outlet says Affleck got the script at the end of last week and made the decision this week to join the project. "His Batman has a dichotomy that is very strong, which is his masculinity—because of the way he looks, and the imposing figure that he has, and his jawline —but he's also very vulnerable," director Andy Muschietti said in an interview. "He knows how to deliver from the inside out, that vulnerability. He just needs a story that allows him to bring that contrast, that balance."

The director adds that Batman is a "very substantial part" of the film's emotional impact. The dynamic between Ezra Miller's Barry Allen and Affleck's Bruce Wayne will "bring an emotional level we haven't seen before." That said, it's still Barry's movie and story, but the pair are "more related than we think," considering that they have both lost their mothers to murder.

The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti was worried that Affleck would make him reluctant to return, considering that the actor has been telling stories about how he has had a hard time playing Batman. However, Muschietti says Affleck is now "in a very different time in his life" and is open to returning.

"Right now he's in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman," she adds."It's a pivotal role, but at the same time it's a fun part."

The Flash movie will explore various parallel dimensions, with the hero encountering different versions of beloved DC characters. The film is expected to be released in 2022.

Also Read: The Batman to Resume Filming in September