Justice League is already a massive change for the franchise. The old DCEU seemed to be stuck in limbo following the disastrous release of Justice League, and the lack of an overarching plan for DC’s main superheroes led to uncertainty regarding the futures of Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in the franchise.
While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would build up from Man of Steel while setting up the Justice League, and thus Ben Affleck was cast as Batman. After Justice League, Ben Affleck openly stated that he was done playing Batman. However, considering that Ben Affleck will appear in two DC movies in 2023, Affleck’s Batman may not be finished. This, coupled with the precedent set by Cavill's somewhat unexpected return, means that Affleck may yet have a DCU future, despite his past statements.
Henry Cavill’s Superman & Ben Affleck’s Batman Are Both Officially Back
Although Henry Cavill never said he was done playing Superman, the status of the Man of Steel in the DCU after Justice League was even more ambiguous than that of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, both of which were originally supposed to be released in 2022 but will now premiere in 2023.
As such, it can be said that Ben Affleck is officially back as Batman – at least for The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In the meantime, Affleck suited up again for additional scenes in Zack Snyder’s Justice League – specifically, the Knightmare timeline scenes that Snyder had never got to film. After seeing Henry Cavill’s Superman in Black Adam, audiences will only have to wait a few months to see Ben Affleck’s Batman in The Flash – a scenario that seemed unlikely in the years that followed Justice League. That said, The Flash also features Michael Keaton’s Batman, which raises the question of who will be the DCU’s Batman.
Henry Cavill’s Superman Is Linked To Ben Affleck’s Batman
Until a reboot happens, which currently does not seem to be the case for the DC Universe, Henry Cavill’s Superman is tied with Ben Affleck’s Batman. Unlike all other Batman films, Batman v Superman is not told from Batman’s point of view. In fact, Batman is the antagonist in Batman v Superman and not the hero. It was thanks to Superman’s actions that a seemly irredeemable Batman found his path again, with Bruce Wayne being inspired by the divisive “Martha moment” but also by how altruistic Clark Kent was throughout the film. The DCEU’s Batman was introduced as a consequence of Superman’s actions, a very different dynamic from previous iterations.
After Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy established Batman’s mythos to the general audiences, Zack Snyder was able to skip Batman’s origins and place the character right in the middle of a larger DC Universe. Seeing Batman as the antagonist in a Superman story was different even from classic “Batman vs Superman” stories such as The Dark Knight Returns, and it created a strong link between the two characters in the DCU. For example, Batman is partially to blame for Superman’s death, the Justice League was formed by Batman because of Superman, and Superman has been resurrected thanks to a plan put together by Batman. Therefore, Cavill’s Superman is heavily and inextricably connected with Affleck’s Batman.
Cavill’s Superman Return Asks For An Extended Ben Affleck’s Batman Future
Although Ben Affleck is returning as Batman for The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the future of Batman in the DCU remains to be seen. The fact that the studio went for a new Batman reboot with no ties to a shared universe, The Batman, suggested that there would be no room for a Batman in the DCU. However, not only is Affleck returning, but Michael Keaton will also reprise his role as Batman in The Flash. It is important to point out that DC Films’ previous creative team was betting on the multiverse, a plan that may no longer be in the cards now that James Gunn is crafting a new DCU.
Still, unless a complete reboot happens, James Gunn’s DCU will have to find a way of incorporating what already existed in the old DCEU into the new plans. For example, having the Justice League as the anchor to this reworked DCU would surely benefit the franchise. A DC Universe cannot work without its main heroes, not in the long term, as proven by how inconsistent DC’s box office has been after Justice League. While Henry Cavill’s Superman return is exciting by itself, it would hold much more meaning if Batman and the Justice League were also returning in some capacity.
With Patty Jenkins's Batgirl would have featured Michael Keaton’s Batman as part of the main DCU timeline after the events of The Flash, thus suggesting that the plan was for Affleck’s Batman to be written out of the franchise. However, with Batgirl canceled and Affleck confirmed for Aquaman 2, the status of the DCU timeline after the multiverse and time travel elements from The Flash cannot be easily assumed.
The DCU Needs Both Cavill’s Superman & Affleck’s Batman
If James Gunn’s DCU is not a reboot but rather a new chapter of DC Films, then it needs both Henry Cavill’s Superman and Ben Affleck’s Batman. While The Batman has the potential to be one of WBD.’s most successful franchises in the years, Robert Pattinson’s Batman is part of a different, more realistic universe and cannot interact with other DCU characters such as Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. Even if Pattinson’s Batman is now to be the focus, a DC Universe cannot work without a Batman. Be it through small cameos or in Justice League sequels, the DCU demands the presence of a Batman.
One possibility is that Michael Keaton takes the role of DCU’s Batman after the events of The Flash. Such a theory seemed to be the more likely one once Keaton was announced to be in Batgirl, but the surprising cancelation of Batgirl and Affleck’s return in Aquaman 2 changed that scenario. Still, the possibility of Michael Keaton becoming the DCU’s main Batman cannot be ruled out. However, as iconic as Keaton’s Batman is, having a version of Bruce Wayne who has no history with Cavill’s Superman, Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League would be a mistake. Therefore, the DCU’s best Batman option is still Ben Affleck.
