Batfleck is In, Battinson is Out: Another Major DCU Shakeup Coming?
Just recently we've discussed that there are just too many Batmans in DCU and that studio bosses believe that there must be only one. But who?
A lot of people want to know the answer to this question. The most likely candidates are Ben Affleck, who played Batman in Batman v Superman and Justice League, and Robert Pattinson, who recently starred in The Batman.
There are arguments for both - or neither. So even the most vague hints and rumours can spark intense speculation among the fanbase.
And speculation was sparked when an insider going by Twitter name MyTimeToShineHello liked a tweet by another insider, stating that he "heard Zaslav likes Batfleck and doesn't like Battinson":
Of course, even insiders with a good track record can be playing a game of telephone. People were quick to point out that David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has praised The Batman in his public interviews, and the rumour comes from a person who has been vocal in his hatred of The Batman and Pattinson.
In turn, they were reminded that it is possible to like the film and dislike the lead actor, or that the CEO of a company is unlikely to speak negatively about his company's product. In any case, this is all hearsay versus opinion for now.
And if we try to look at the facts, we have to remember that Pattinson only got the role in The Batman because Affleck stepped down, whether because he no longer felt passionate about the project, as he said, or because of his alcohol problem.
Since then, Affleck has only appeared in supporting roles and may simply have been reluctant to commit to acting full-time again. As for other potential Batmans, Christian Bale does not want to return to the role, or at least he showed no signs of wanting to play Batman again after the completion of the Dark Knight trilogy.
And Michael Keaton, of course, is now 71 years old, so while he will play (presumably an alternate universe version of) Batman again as a supporting character in The Flash, he simply won't be able to portray the character in his prime.
Logically, Robert Pattinson seems the more likely choice, as he's guaranteed to be available, he's actually willing to play the role, and his film was a decent commercial success. However, all of this could mean nothing if the insiders are right and his ultimate boss simply doesn't like him.