While is was thought that the upcoming Synder Cut of Justice League would be the last time that we would see Ben Affleck don the cape and cowl as the Dark Knight. But now thanks to an exclusive from Vanity Fair we have found out that that in fact will not be the case as he will reprise his role in the upcoming THE FLASH film.
Affleck got the script at the end of last week and agreed this week to join the project. The Flash movie, which is set to release in summer 2022, will feature the fastest man alive Barry Allen, played by Ezra Miller, breaking into various parallel dimensions, where he’ll encounter slightly different versions of DC’s classic heroes. It’s an adaptation of DC’s 2011 Flashpoint series of comic book crossovers, directed by Andy Muschietti.
His (Affleck) 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,” 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.
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,” the director added. “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,” Muschietti said. “He understands.”
Affleck won’t be the only Batman making a comeback, Michael Keaton’s Batman from the 1989 Tim Burton film is also set to appear in what Muschietti said was a “substantial” part.
There’s another reason The Flash needed the character affectionately known as Batfleck. In DC’s movie universe, Affleck’s gray-templed Bruce Wayne is the one Ezra’s Flash would consider “the original Batman,” the one he has already fought alongside in the previous Zack Snyder films.
Muschietti goes on further to say that it wouldn’t work as well for Barry to venture into the company of other Batmen without having Affleck as the starting point. “He’s the baseline. He’s part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure,” the director said. “There’s a familiarity there.”
The use of the multiverse has helped DC both differentiate itself and revisit the same characters without being accused of rebooting or erasing recent favorites. DC TV shows such as ARROW, BATWOMAN, BLACK LIGHTNING, DC’s LEGENDS OF TOMORROW and SUPERGIRL have done crossover events, and a few months ago the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS storyline laid the groundwork for the multiverse concept, with Miller’s movie Flash making an appearance in that story by coming face-to-face with the TV Flash played by Grant Gustin.
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,” Muschietti said. “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.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t still intense disagreements in the fandom, and the return of Batfleck is sure to launch countless takes.
Barbara Muschietti, the producer of The Flash (and sister and longtime collaborator of the director), told Vanity Fair she had worried this might make him reluctant to return at all.
There have been some all sorts of stories and things he said himself about having a very hard time playing Batman, and it had been difficult for him,” she said. “I think it was more about a difficult time in his life. When we approached him, he’s now in a very different time in his life. He was very open to it, which was a bit of a surprise to us. It was a question mark. We are all human and go through great times in our lives and terrible times in our lives,” she added. “Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman.” Plus, he doesn’t have to carry the entire movie. “It’s a pivotal role, but at the same time it’s a fun part,” she said.
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