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.

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First Published: Feb 15, 2019 17:34 IST