Rumor watch: Tonight, Collider Talk podcast is reporting that Ben Affleck wants out of the Batman role he’s played three times now — in “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice,” a small part in “Suicide Squad” and the upcoming “Justice League.” Collider Talk’s John Campea said he has three different sources within Warner Bros. that confirm Affleck wants out. “Ben Affleck, make no mistake, he wants out. He doesn’t want to be Batman anymore,” he said on the show this week.
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Campea added that his sources have told him that Affleck is in active discussions with Warner Bros. to remove himself from his DCEU deal which includes “The Batman” movie tentatively scheduled for 2019. However, if a deal cannot be reached in time, this solo outing will be the last appearance Affleck makes as the character (man, imagine a studio that knows your lead actor doesn’t want to be there?)
5 Reasons Why Ben Affleck Wisely Bailed On Directing ‘The Batman’
The flipside? Campea says to take this rumor with a “grain of salt,” which is frustrating because if you don’t trust a rumor you’re circulating, you shouldn’t circulate it at all. Still, this is what many reporters do to save their hides in case their story goes sideways — it’s the get out of jail card that says, “well, I told you it was very possible I was wrong.”
As irritating as that position is, this rumor does fit a recent profile. And those paying attention will know that this rumor also popped up in a recent Forbes piece (though to be fair it was quasi speculation). Citing a workload that would be too difficult. Affleck recently bowed out of “The Batman” directing role. “Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give,” he said in a statement. “It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require.”
The actor said working with Warner Bros. they would decide to find a new director together. That filmmaker appears to be “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” helmer Matt Reeves, but the deal isn’t final and “The Batman” comes with a lot of baggage, so let’s wait and see. When Reeves took over ‘Dawn Of The Apes’ franchise he tossed a script by Scott Z. Burns and started all over again. Will WB let him make such a similar move Meanwhile, Affleck has already expressed weariness and frustration with the ever-present scrutiny of which he is under due to the superhero role that fans are rabid about.
“It’s one of those things that’s really frustrating — with ‘Live by Night,’ it took me a year and a half to write it and get it ready and I worked really hard, and nobody gave a sh–. No one was like, ‘Where’s ‘Live by Night’?!’ But with Batman I keep on getting, ‘Where’s the f—ing Batman?!’ and I’m like, ‘I’m working! Can you give me a second?!” he said, exasperated earlier this month.
The filmmaker could easily just be exhausted. He’s separated, has to juggle his family, and then there’s the fact he was juggling his passion project “Live By Night” while taking on the Batman role in three different films — a lot to take on, but it would be understandable if Affleck had enough (something we’ve already posited here).
Affleck leaving the part would be a massive blow to the already struggling DCEU — pretty much a franchise killer. Outside of Affleck, there’s are few major stars in the project aside from Will Smith, who doesn’t look like he’s returning anytime soon and Margot Robbie, who’s still ascending. Henry Cavill’s done well as Superman, but outside the franchise, he’s hardly an A-lister. Affleck’s the one part of “Batman V Superman” that didn’t take a paddling and much of the DCEU’s continued success rides on his shoulders. And maybe this is exactly why the actor wants out. Either way, expect damage control and a swift denial from either Affleck himself or Warner Bros. Every day there’s a story that “The Batman” script is in trouble, and or being rewritten from scratch and then the next day, it’s fine. Expect an up and down narrative for the next few months until something official happens. And or, just take it all with a grain of salt…
As far as anyone knows, Ben Affleck is neither divorced nor juggling custody. They never filed, he never even moved out. So there’s that.
If Affleck was only in for 1 picture, this would be a total waste of time for Reeves. One of the perks of sticking your neck out and rebooting a property is that you get a financial stake in the subsequent projects related to that reboot. If Reeves’ film is followed by yet another brand relaunch with a new actor in the role, his creative effort on the series is immediately rendered obsolete and his longer term financial compensation (most likely producer credit on subsequent Batman projects) is lost.
I am guessing that in order to close the Reeves deal, they either need Affleck to extend his deal or bow out.
If Affleck leaves I doubt they do a wholesale reboot. This version of Batman is already directly tied to the ongoing universe, which they seem invested in for the time being.
good point
Or, the other side of that argument, is that if Reeves gets to revamp Batman with a new actor, and do everything according to a new vision he comes up with, that would be a very attractive option.
we encourage u to leave sir
u deserve better
I think your theory def has merit, with the things you cited. Affleck seems exhausted. The only thing I don’t get is, how could he not see this coming at the beginning. I remember thinking when he signed on to be Batman, why after all of this newly earned respect and credibility both as an actor and director, would you choose to be Batman in Zack Snyder’s universe. Even back then you could predict what kind of film Snyder would likely create and that’s exactly what he created. I felt like it should have been clear to Affleck that he could do better with his time.
Gee, why would Batfleck want out of a role he was never right for in the first place ? If his ego hadn’t been bigger than his acting chops (which really ain’t all that hard), then he wouldn’t have taken the role in the first place. To his credit thought he’s only marginally edged out Clooney for Worst Batman Ever.
To answer the question,yes unfortunately,ben do yourself the favour and stick to what you know,low budget porn and yes be the daddie you were meant to be….
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/63b04be9abb253ce4a64f55d6fad23922d4ecc522b11e2480a273ca07cc21989.png
What a sad situation so many reboots,with robot actors,yes congratulations to the American film industry empire for destroying what could have been a luxurious film franchise,comic superheroes