
I’m not Batman: Ben Affleck confirms he is no longer the Dark Knight
Ben Affleck, in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, confirmed that he is no longer Batman. The actor had previously tweeted his best wishes to director Matt Reeves in a reply to a news report about his departure from the role, without explicitly saying he’d quit.
Kimmel addressed the news and asked Affleck about his decision to quit. “I have decided - I tried to direct a version of it, worked with a really good screenwriter, but couldn’t come up with a version,” Affleck said. “Couldn’t crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it and they got some really good people.”
Affleck concluded the segment by saying, “I’m not Batman.” The Oscar-winner played the Dark Knight in three films—each of them was poorly received by critics, although reactions to his performance were kinder. He debuted in the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, appeared in a cameo in Suicide Squad, and concluded his run with Justice League. During this time, it was often reported that Affleck was displeased with and losing faith in the property. A ‘sad Affleck’ meme, in which the actor sat dejectedly during an interview, went viral online.
Affleck was initially hired to direct a solo Batman film, but after taking shots at the screenplay, could not deliver a solid enough take. He stepped down from the director’s chair but remained on board as producer and star for Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes), who signed on in January 2017.
After several months of speculation surrounding his involvement, it was recently reported that Warner Bros had no plans for any future Batman or Superman movies with Affleck and Henry Cavill. At the end of January, it was reported that Reeves would be moving ahead with a new actor. “Excited for The Batman in Summer 2021 and to see Matt Reeves’ vision come to life,” Affleck tweeted on the occasion.
Batman has previously been played on screen by Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and Christian Bale. Affleck will next appear in Netflix’s Triple Frontier, due out in March.
Follow @htshowbiz for more

Tom Holland recalls 'terrible' Marvel audition process for Spider-Man
- Actor Tom Holland spoke about the arduous audition process for Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the time he thought he'd be fired from the role.

Ana de Armas' life-size cutout trashed outside Ben Affleck's house after breakup
- A life-size cutout of Ana de Armas was trashed outside Ben Affleck's house, amid reports of their breakup.

Extraction director says Marvel universe is inspiration for franchise's future
- Joe and Anthony Russo are bringing their Marvel Cinematic Universe experience to fleshing out the Extraction franchise, director Sam Hargrave has said.

Justin Timberlake announces birth of second son with Jessica Biel, reveals name
- Celebrity couple Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have welcomed their second child, a year after he publicly apologised for inappropriate behaviour amid cheating rumours.

Priyanka Chopra drops Divine's banging original song from White Tiger. Listen
- Priyanka Chopra has shared Jungle Mantra, an original song from the White Tiger soundtrack, by Divine, featuring Vince Staples and Pusha T. Listen here.

Ray Fisher confirms he's been removed from Flash movie, amid standoff with WB
- Actor Ray Fisher has released a lengthy statement confirming his removal from the upcoming Flash movie, amid his standoff with Warner Bros.

Riz Ahmed reveals his 'secret' wedding details along with wife's name

Chris Evans denies being in talks with Marvel to return as Captain America

Armie Hammer breaks silence on DMs scandal, says he's quit his upcoming film
- Actor Armie Hammer announced that he is quitting his upcoming film, amid a scandal around messages that he allegedly sent a woman.

Patralekhaa spots The White Tiger hoarding in NYC, gives shout-out to Rajkummar
- Patralekhaa spotted Rajkummar Rao on a hoarding of The White Tiger in New York and shared a picture on Instagram stories. She reminisced about his incredible journey, from Gurugram to New York.

One Night in Miami review: Blistering film traps four Black icons in motel room
- One Night in Miami movie review: Debutante director Regina King extracts terrific performances from her four leading men, in a high-concept drama about power and responsibility.

Russell Brand praises Ali's moustache in Death on the Nile, calls him 'terrific'

Bruce Willis regrets ‘error in judgment’ after refusing to wear a mask in public
- Bruce Willis was clicked without a mask at a pharmacy in Los Angeles on Monday. He later said that it was an 'error in judgment'.

Nick Jonas reviews Priyanka Chopra's The White Tiger, calls it 'unreal'

Netflix unveils star-studded 2021 slate, featuring DiCaprio, The Rock, Hemsworth
- First footage from high-profile upcoming films starring Chris Hemsworth, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Adams, and others, has been revealed by Netflix.