SPOILERS WITHIN
We’ve known for a while that Ben Affleck was set to appear in The Flash this June and we knew too that it would be his last appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman as the actor had previously expressed he was done playing the role – Warners didn’t make it easy for him, let’s be honest – but it seems that he may now be suffering buyer’s regret.
Speaking on the Smartless Podcast, Affleck discussed the upcoming DC movie that is expected to reset the whole DCU and see him replaced in the role and he’s actually pretty excited about it and seems like he finally realised how cool a role Batman really was and could have been – he also spoils a major appearance in the movie.
“It’s my best s–t I have done as Batman!” Affleck says.
“I finally figured out how to play the guy! I know I quit but I got it now! Like you do the audition and you are on your way home, you are like ‘No!’ I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but there was a scene where I get saved by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys. She saves me with the Lasso of Truth, so what happens is that Batman divulges some of his real feelings about his life and his work. I was like ‘Wait a minute; I got it!”
The real tragedy here is that had he decided to stay, we would still have Henry Cavill as Superman and Affleck as Batman but, alas, it wasn’t to be and we’re now staring into a future with a new Batman and Superman.
As for the appearance of Wonder Woman, it will be a nice compliment to Gal Gadot’s appearance in Shazam! Fury of the Gods… it looks like DC really had their act together just as it all came to an end.
In a recent interview, Affleck laid out why he quit as Batman and, well, it’s not a good look for Warners or Joss Whedon: “I was going to direct a Batman, and [Justice League] made me go, “I’m out. I never want to do any of this again. I’m not suited.” That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart. There was an idea of someone [Joss Whedon] coming in, like, “I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret.” And it wasn’t the secret. That was hard. And I started to drink too much.”
He went on: “You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it you’re just standing against the computer screen going, “If this nuclear waste gets loose, we’ll …” That’s fine. I don’t condescend to that or put it down, but I got to a point where I found it creatively not satisfying. Also just, you’re sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, “I don’t want to participate in this in any way. And I don’t want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount.”
WATCH: New Shazam! Fury of the Gods TV spot reveals major cameo [SPOILER WITHIN]
He also addressed new DCU showrunner James Gunn’s comments that he had spoken to Affleck and even though he was out as Batman, he’d likely be coming back to direct a DC project in the future: “I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
Oops.
As for Zack Snyder and his release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League during the lockdowns, Affleck has nothing but great things to say: “Zack Snyder eventually went to AT&T and was like, “”Look, I can get you four hours of content.” And it’s principally just all the slow motion that he shot in black-and-white. And one day of shooting with me and him. He was like, “Do you want to come shoot in my backyard?” I was like, “I think there are unions, Zack. I think we have to make a deal.” But I went and did it. And now [Zack Snyder’s Justice League] is my highest-rated movie on IMDb.”
When asked about the relentless campaigning of the fans for the Snyder Cut, Affleck has nothing but respect for them: “Say what you want, it is my highest-rated career movie. I’ve never had one that went from nadir to pinnacle. Retroactively, it’s a hit. All of a sudden I was getting congratulated for the bomb I’m in.”
Man, the more you read and hear about how Warners handled the DCEU in the last few years, the more you realise the whole thing could have so, so much more…
Thoughts?
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman made Ben Affleck ‘want to play Batman again’ after #TheFlash!#TheFlashMovie pic.twitter.com/ZaU6sJgF4T
— The Flash Film News (@FlashFilmNews) March 28, 2023
UPDATED: Official synopsis for The Flash:
Worlds collide in The Flash when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to.
That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for.
Additional source: THR
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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