The question of Ben Affleck's future as Batman has become a mystery worthy of the world's greatest detective. Some rumors suggest that he's in it for the long haul, but his brother Casey recently came out and stated that he believed that Ben Affleck wouldn't even appear in Matt Reeves' The Batman. Fans have spent the last few days trying to make sense of that supposed bombshell, but now Ben Affleck's reps have confirmed that it's not as truthful as some had assumed, saying:
He'll continue to be Batman as long as the studio will have him.
It's worth remembering that Casey Affleck's comments about his brother's future in the solo Batman movie were never meant to be taken as gospel. The younger Affleck brother simply made an off-the-cuff remark about Ben's tenure in the cape and cowl, but he also clearly tried to play it off as a joke. As of right now, Ben Affleck's people have confirmed that Affleck is intent on sticking around for the foreseeable future, but the ball is mostly in Warner Bros.' court with regard to whether or not he reprises the role in Matt Reeves' movie.
In all honesty, it would've been surprising for Ben Affleck to completely drop out of his role as Batman after his recent remarks about the progress Joss Whedon has made on Justice League. Affleck's public enthusiasm for the role and the DCEU's direction appears to have increased since he made his decision to focus solely on acting, and his promise of a "traditional" Batman (compared to the rage-fueled killer seen in Batman v Superman) has certainly piqued our interest. For him to walk away when things finally seem to have fallen into place wouldn't necessarily make sense.
As for Casey Affleck? His reps have also stepped in to clarify his remarks, telling Buzzfeed News that the A Ghost Story star was merely having fun with fans (haha. Very funny, Casey...) at a Red Sox game. Per Affleck's reps:
He was having fun with the folks at the Red Sox game --- where he threw out the first pitch in support of the Jimmy Fund --- and not speaking from a place of firsthand knowledge.
So for now, it looks like we can still look forward to seeing Ben Affleck in the DCEU when the solo Batman movie finally hits the silver screen. Make sure to catch The Dark Knight's next on-screen appearance when Justice League premieres in theaters on November 17.
