Ben Affleck’s Batman journey has been… well, chaotic. One moment he’s hyped to wear the cowl, the next he’s ready to torch the cape and move on. It’s been nearly a decade since he first played the grizzled, brooding Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). And like a good wine or a confused franchise, things have aged — not always well. Yet, despite all the ups and downs, some fans are still holding onto hope that Ben Affleck will return as Batman someday.
Affleck’s Batman started strong. In Batman v Superman, he delivered a weathered, furious vigilante who’d lost faith in humanity. You believed this guy had seen some stuff. But fast forward to Suicide Squad (blink and you’ll miss it) and the infamous Whedon-cut of Justice League, and it looked like the man had mentally clocked out. By the time The Flash hit screens, Affleck’s Bat-performance had become a weird mash-up: part Saturday morning cartoon, part emotional anchor. One scene he’s zooming around the city like he just walked off the set of Batman & Robin. The next he’s giving heartfelt time-travel advice in one of the franchise’s best moments.
Reflecting on it all in a GQ interview, Affleck didn’t hold back: “There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience… misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations… I wasn’t bringing anything particularly wonderful to that equation… I had my own failings, significant failings…”
Translation: It sucked, for a lot of reasons. And not just because superhero movies are exhausting.
Yet here we are again. At the premiere of The Accountant 2, Affleck was asked the million-dollar question:
“Can we see you back as Batman?” He replied with a smirk: “Hey, you know, anything is possible.”
Sure, he turned down James Gunn and the new DCU. And yes, he’s always been more loyal to Zack Snyder than the studio. He even said he was “glad” Snyder finished Zack Snyder’s Justice League, calling it the better version. But let’s be real: Affleck is 52 now. How many more Bat-punches does he have left in him?
Originally, Snyder planned for Batfleck to die in Justice League 2 — the ultimate sacrifice. But with the Snyderverse in limbo and Superman (the first film in James Gunn’s DCU) just around the corner, the dream seems… unlikely.
Still, Affleck said it: “Anything is possible.” Fans are holding on. Maybe foolishly. Maybe hopefully.
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So, should Ben Affleck return as Batman? Or should he leave the cowl in the Batcave for good?
