As recently indicated by its director, The Batman is indeed hitting the theaters in 2021. And it seems like the long-standing rumors about Ben Affleck not returning as the titular superhero are true as well.
Fresh on the heels of Matt Reeves suggesting that they are aiming at a late spring/summer 2021 release for The Batman, Warner Bros. has set a release date for the project. According to Deadline and multiple other Hollywood trades, the movie will open on June 25, 2021. As reported earlier today, the studio has also slated an August 2021 release for James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.
The trades also reiterate that Affleck, who portrayed the Caped Crusader in three different DC Extended Universe installments, is not going to star in the movie. The 46-year-old actor too appears to have confirmed the news. He has shared the Deadline report, which informs about his departure right in its headline, on Twitter and expressed his excitement about the project. Check out his tweet below!
Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life. https://t.co/GNgyJroMIO
"” Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 31, 2019
There's no word on who will bring the fan-favorite DC superhero to life in The Batman. But the trades are suggesting that Reeves is looking for a younger actor for the lead role. However, like Variety correspondent Justin Kroll mentions in his tweet below, it's clear whether the term younger stands for the age group of 20s or that of 30s.
In terms of who will play the next Batman, a lot mixed messages of how old the actor will be going aroudn town. Some have said Reeves had wanted younger person in their 20s, others have said the studio would prefer an older actor in their 30s. Let the guessing games begin
"” Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) January 31, 2019
Matt Reeves recently teased that the casting process for his DC Universe project would begin soon. While he kept mum about Affleck's involvement and recasting the titular superhero, he teased the appearance of more than one or two supervillains in the movie. So, it's likely that we would come across some major casting announcements by the end of the year.
