David Pierdomenico
Just as Aquaman was reclaiming some prestige and box office success for the fledgling DCEU, Ben Affleck dropped a proverbial bomb by announcing he was officially done with playing DC’s most popular character. The DCEU certainly had its issues, but most fans agreed that Ben Affleck’s portrayal of an aged and weathered Bruce Wayne was one of the highlights. And many were very much looking forward to his upcoming solo film The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, which is still happening. But without Affleck starring, the entire franchise is taking a huge step back.
What Made Him an Effective Batman
Initially there was a lot of backlash when Ben Affleck accepted the role of Batman after Christian Bale declined to reprise the role. However, to be fair, many fans weren’t sold on Michael Keaton playing the part back in 1989, and thankfully he proved them all wrong. Affleck did so similarly when he (along with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman) turned out to be among the best aspects of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Unlike many of his predecessors, who portrayed Batman in his origins or prime, Affleck’s version of the Dark Knight was a much older and wearier take on the character.
He had been donning the cape and cowl for an estimated 20 years, and had seen the very worst of humanity. So it made complete sense that when Superman arrived, Batman would be apprehensive towards him, and even view him as a potential threat. Affleck conveyed this sense of exhausted vigilantism in his eyes in almost every scene. In all his years of fighting, he had lost when it meant to be human. There’s even a line in Justice League where he speaks of Superman: “He’s more human I am. He lived in this world, fell in love, had a job. In spite of all that power.”
Why He’s Leaving
Despite Affleck’s strong performance in Batman v. Superman and Justice League, he wasn’t immune to the immense criticism both films received (along with Suicide Squad). Between rushing their films to release, trying too hard to mimic Marvel, and making some very questionable story decisions, the DCEU was a mess, but that’s nothing new. Initially, Affleck was very excited about this new opportunity, but he seemed to take all the criticism very personally. Social media can be incredibly brutal, and it’s difficult to imagine the emotional toll it took with him being at the head of the franchise, as its most popular character.
Even before he was recruited to play Batman, Affleck had already established himself as a director with films like Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo. So it was no surprise that Warner Brothers was considering him to direct his solo film The Batman, as he had proven experience directing himself to Oscar nominated glory. But when he released 2016’s Live By Night (a film he directed and starred in) to critical and box office failure, it really stuck with him. Immediately afterwards, he withdrew from all consideration to direct The Batman, and with the lukewarm reception of Justice League (along with a relapse into his previous alcoholism), it was all too much.
The Future of the Franchise
This all seems like bad timing since, for the first time in years, the DCEU seems like it’s heading in the right direction. Aquaman was a smashing success, Shazam! is getting quite a bit of buzz, Wonder Woman 1984 is poised to recapture the glory of the original, and Birds of Prey seeks to make up for the mistakes of Suicide Squad. Not to mention DC has courted James Gunn to write/direct Suicide Squad 2 after Marvel foolishly let him go. On the surface, it may seem like the perfect time for Affleck to go as the franchise is in the midst of reinventing itself, but they could have easily continued with him into this new direction.
Given his status as the 20 year veteran Batman, it would have been the perfect opportunity for him to be a mentor to other rising stars in the DCEU, and maybe finally do that Batman Beyond film fans have been craving for years. There was an enormous potential that was wasted with poor screenwriting decisions that had nothing to do with Affleck himself. Even if DC and Warner Brothers recast Batman for another reboot, it will completely ruin the continuity of their universe which is only now starting to come together. No matter what happens though, we’ll always have that awesome warehouse fight scene in Batman v. Superman!
