Batman May Not Be Played By Ben Affleck For Much Longer

Less than a year ago, Ben Affleck was lined up to write, direct, and star in DC's standalone Batman movie. However, Affleck stepped down as director in January and was replaced by War of the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves. Last month, Reeves revealed that he would not be using Affleck's co-written script for the movie--and now it has been reported that DC might be looking to recast the role entirely.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio are considering "gracefully" easing Affleck out of the role that he first played in last year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Affleck is set to reprise the role in Justice League later this year, and he is still officially on board for Reeves movie.

However, this could yet change, and THR's sources suggest that in any case he will replaced before too long. Reportedly, this change will be addressed "in some shape or form in one of the upcoming DC films."

As the site points out, Affleck is nearly 45, and with Reeves' Batman film a couple of years off and another Justice League even further away than that, it is not surprising that the studio might be looking for a younger star with long-term potential for the role. Reeves has already spoken about the possibility of making a trilogy of Batman movies. Neither DC or Affleck have commented on this story.

In related news, it was reported this week that the next DC movie to go into production will be Shazam. The movie will start shooting early next year, for a 2019 release.