Following the box office flop that was Justice League late last year, Warner Bros. has been seriously reevaluating their continued creation of films based on DC comic books and the actors they have cast to play these heroes.
While it seems that nearly every new Marvel film smashes box office records with its release, the same hype does not surround DC film releases. According to Variety , the studio has started looking for new actors to play the main heroes Batman and Superman in favor of the current actors, Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill respectively.
The studio has yet to confirm the news, but just last month rumors were running rampant that Cavill would not be taking part in the DC Universe anymore, as Inquisitr previously reported. Cavill also did not confirm the rumors, but instead posted a cryptic video to his Instagram account, only serving to confuse fans further.
Affleck first took on the role of Batman in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice , taking over the role from Christian Bale who starred in the Dark Knight trilogy. He returned for Justice League last year, only his second film as part of the DC Universe (his cameo on Suicide Squad was uncredited). The actor is supposed to be returning for a third Batman film, but it appears he may not get the chance to redeem himself in the franchise.
Warner Bros. Reportedly Looking for New BATMAN Actor to Replace BEN AFFLECK https://t.co/Ws6IfWR5dJ pic.twitter.com/O4E5dWfheX
— ComicBook NOW! (@ComicBookNOW) October 16, 2018
Again, as with Cavill’s supposed exit, the studio has not officially confirmed that they are in fact searching for a new Dark Knight.
In the meantime, the studio is releasing Aquaman in December starring Jason Momoa, who is reprising his role from Justice League . Next year will also see Warner Bros. bring a second Wonder Woman film with Gal Gadot in the lead role, a second Suicide Squad movie starring all of the original cast, and a standalone Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix set to star as the villain.
The studio also has another Batman movie in the works, The Batman , but it has not been confirmed who will be taking up the mantle of the Dark Knight, although Affleck is believed to be involved in a producing role either way. It does seem as though the actor will be reprising the role in the second Justice League film, even if he won’t return in standalone films as the winged hero.
Affleck has been having a hard time of late, with his multi-million dollar divorce from Jennifer Garner placing a strain on him, and a number of stints in rehab in recent months.
