Ever since Ben Affleck’s face was first associated with that sad meme, people have speculated that he wants out of the DC Extended Universe. First, he stepped down as director of The Batman. Next, new director Matt Reeves scrapped Affleck’s script for the movie. Then came San Diego Comic Con, where it was said that Warner Bros. was looking to slowly and gently usher the actor out of the shared universe.
Of course, onstage at that same SDCC, Affleck said that this role was the greatest ever, and he planned to remain as the Caped Crusader for as long the studio wanted him to.
Casey Affleck (Variety)
However, Ben’s brother Casey Affleck dropped the bombshell that Ben wasn’t going to star in The Batman. And since Ben Affleck said that he’d direct the reboot, only to drop out unexpectedly, this news seemed as real as can be.
Now, both actors’ representatives are attempting to set the record straight. Casey's reps say that the actor was just having fun, adding that he’d have no way of knowing his brother's plans:
He was having fun with the folks at the Red Sox game, and not speaking from a place of firsthand knowledge (via CBM).
This makes sense. The two actors are brothers, but that doesn’t mean they’re familiar with each other’s schedules and commitments.
Ben's reps repeated his SDCC comments about portraying Batman until the studio decides otherwise:
He’ll continue to be Batman as long as the studio will have him.
Ben Affleck (Variety)
Of course, the studio hasn’t commented, although maybe it should, in order to calm fans who really want to know where the DCEU is heading.
