We’re still waiting for an official announcement about Batman’s future, and it appears that a new online rumor just added to the confusion.
According to BOF, Matt Reeves' The Batman will be its own thing and not part of the DC Extended Universe. Rather, Warner Bros. could release the movie under that new and yet unnamed banner [for] DC films that are not "canon" (i.e., "in-continuity").
Reeves is likely to recast the role of the Caped Crusader, but there's also a very small chance that Ben Affleck will wear the cape and cowl one last time in Flashpoint or Suicide Squad 2.
Ben Affleck might return for one last turn as Batman in Flashpoint or Suicide Squad 2! (Photo Credit – Warner Bros.)
The rumor falls in line with some of the other recent news, including some strong buzz that Reeves plans to replace Affleck in The Batman. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jon Hamm have been named as possible replacements.
A December 2017 Variety story suggested that while Affleck would have no involvement in Reeves' project, he would appear in Flashpoint. But no mention was made of Affleck’s possible appearance as Bruce Wayne in Suicide Squad 2.
The speculation that The Batman wouldn’t be a DCEU movie makes very little sense. In August 2017, Reeves shared on Twitter that the movie wouldn’t be filled with cameos servicing other stories, but it would be part of the shared cinematic universe.
However, we should note that Reeves posted those remarks prior to Justice League’s less than impressive theatrical opening. Taking that into consideration, it's possible that the studio already altered its stance.
