BREAKING: Ben Affleck Returning as Batman in ‘The Flash’

FilmSpeak’s very own Griffin Schiller broke this news on the July 23rd Episode of the 4 Nerds Podcast, but Vanity Fair confirms that Ben Affleck will return to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming Ezra Miller movie, “The Flash” from director Andy Muschietti.

The film, set to be the 13th theatrically-released instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), is reported to be an adaptation of the hit graphic novel “Flashpoint” from 2011 which features Batman as one of its main characters.

According to sources, Affleck was given the script last week to read and agreed to come onto the project returning as Batman after loving the script and meeting with Muschietti.

When asked about his choice to include Affleck in “The Flash,” Muschietti had this to say:

“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. 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. 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. I’m glad to be collaborating with someone who has been on both sides of the camera, too. He understands.”

This will be Affleck’s first theatrical outing as the Caped Crusader since 2017’s “Justice League.” Affleck will, however, return as Batman in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” coming out next year on HBO Max. It is unknown at this time the extent Affleck’s role will feature in “The Flash,” although Muschietti revealed his role is “a baseline” and “part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure.”

“Flashpoint” follows Barry Allen/The Flash travelling backwards in time by running faster than the speed of light and stopping the murder of his mother by his arch-nemesis the Reverse-Flash, which happened when he was a young boy.

Upon returning to the present, however, Barry finds that changing the past has created a cascading Butterfly Effect across time and space and totally altered his reality beyond recognition. Most notably, Thomas Wayne became Batman after Bruce was shot in Crime Alley, and Barry Allen no longer has his powers.

At this point, it is unknown how much the film will take from the original graphic novel source material. However, what else has been confirmed is that Michael Keaton will return as his version of Batman from the Tim Burton universe from “Batman” (1989) and “Batman Returns.” Muschietti has described Keaton’s role in the film as “substantial,” and it has been teased that he will play a mentor figure with a knowledge of the Multiverse that Flash discovers through Flashpoint.

In describing the multiverse he hopes to set up with “The Flash,” Muschietti said:

“This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we’ve seen before are valid. It’s inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you’ve seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.”

For more information on Keaton’s involvement in the film and his future in the Multiverse of the DCEU with a possible “Batman Beyond” adaptation, check out the video below:

“The Flash” is expected to film next spring and is set for theatrical release on July 8, 2022. For more information on the film, make sure to check out DC FanDome on Saturday, August 22.