Editor’s Note: The following are spoilers for The Flash.Ben Affleckscreen time in Flash may be limited to five or so minutes, but as Affleck himself stated, he succeeded. Whether you haven’t seen the movie or need a refresher, Batman is on the hunt for terrorists who have stolen a deadly virus from a failed heist. Call Barry (Ezra Miller) to Gotham via Alfred (Jeremy Irons), Batman pursues the criminals, and Barry collects the pieces left after them. Serving as the film’s opening scene, it gives us a glimpse of what the Justice League could be in the DCEU, and reminds us of just how intimidating Affleck makes the Caped Crusader. Batfleck is dressed in a blue and gray bat suit that has gone down in history as an iconic color scheme. finally appears in live action. It’s strange to see Batman fighting crime in broad daylight while the townspeople enjoy brunch, but it’s more than welcome. He proves resilient as ever, chasing down terrorists on his batcycle, and when that fails, with a grappling hook and sheer will. This is a fantastic chase sequence with great action that highlights some of the highlights of any Batman scene, including jumping over an explosion.
Sharing screen time with Batman is a portrayal of Bruce Wayne’s Affleck that is just as good or even better than his Batman. Speaking to a dejected Barry about his injury, Affleck perfectly embodies Bruce’s mix of brooding loner and sad guy who just wants to be hugged. When Barry tells Bruce that he’s learned to travel through time - that he can save his mom, save Bruce’s parents - Affleck smiles wistfully, a subtle but emotionally impactful performance that only culminates in his response to Barry’s suggestion, “These scars we have, make us who we are. We’re not going to go back and fix them. Don’t let your tragedy define you.” If this isn’t the incarnation of Batman, then what is? Bruce Affleck has embraced the tragedy of his past. His scars are visible and they hurt, but he endures nonetheless.
Ben Affleck’s Batman Was Great Long Before The Flash
Of all the actors who have donned the hood and portrayed Batman over the years, none have had a longer or more rugged journey than Ben Affleck. Affectionately nicknamed “The Batfleck” by fans, Affleck’s time as the Caped Crusader began back in 2016 (when the DC Extended Universe was still untouched) when he went up against Henry CavillSuperman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Affleck briefly reprized the role in the 2016 film. Suicide Squad and again in a disastrous 2017 Justice League movie, but then everything went wrong. WITH Zack Snyder departure Justice League amid a family tragedy, combined with major studio intervention in his absence, the film fell apart and was very poorly received. Suddenly, the DC plan that had been planned collapsed, and the continuity of the DCEU and the timeline was forever in question. Rumors of a highly anticipated Batman solo directed by Ben Affleck were silenced after he announced his departure from the role in early 2019.
But his exit from the role wasn’t supposed to happen - not yet. Affleck returned for additional photos to complete a multi-year vision when Snyder finally got the chance to complete and release the film. Justice League Zack Snyder in 2021 and again for Flash.
Though Affleck may think his best role as Batman is yet to come. Flashhe actually was great the whole time. Although Batman v Superman highly controversial in the comic book film world, Affleck’s performance as Batman needs no defense as he is the film’s standout character. From the film’s opening exposition regarding his injury, to the iconic shot of him standing at the bat-signal in his armored suit, to the legendary warehouse brawl, Affleck throws everything into his game as the most brutal of all the Batmans before. . His massive stature and white-haired voice work in his favor, but despite his menacing appearance, he is arguably the most empathetic Batman ever. He is older than most adaptations and a bit wiser, but he grows to understand that he needs to embrace hope, not reject it. After the events of Batman v Superman and Superman’s death, he is motivated by this new growing sense of hope he feels after realizing Superman’s true purpose, and we see a brighter side of a deeply traumatized Batman. Despite his loneliness, it is Bruce who decides that he needs to assemble the Justice League, which he devotes a lot of time to individually hunting down each member.
Ben Affleck Won’t Return as Batman in ‘The Brave and the Bold’
For such a great performance, it’s bittersweet to think it’s his last. Although he was previously “not retired”, Flash this is the final end for Affleck as a new era of DCU begins under James Gunn And Peter Safran. But for the final execution, it seems rather open, which means that, like many other aspects of the DCEU, it will likely remain unfinished. So, call it wishful thinking, but it’s fun to imagine what the future might have been like if Batfleck had stayed - and his performance in Flash made a pretty strong argument why he should.
While the puzzle will never be completed, all the pieces are ready for Affleck’s sequel as Batman. Director Flash, Andy Muschiettiwas officially confirmed to be in charge Brave and bold, one of the new movies in James Gunn’s first chapter of DCU, Gods and Monsters. Gunn said that Brave and bold old Batman will be introduced (as opposed to Robert PattisonBatman, who has only two years behind him), and, in addition, it will feature Bruce’s son Damian Wayne as Robin. While this raised a lot of questions regarding the DCU timeline compared to Batman already being in his fourth Robin, the other big question, of course, was who would be playing the Caped Crusader. While the multiverse teases at the end Flash made it look like George Clooney may repeat the mantle, most likely it was a silly easter egg and not an indication of the future. Given that Muschietti got the chance to get to know Affleck and channel his Batman for Flashit would be remiss not to invite them to unite again for Brave and bold. But given that Affleck has already stepped down from the role once, combined with the fact that the DCU will need their Batman for years to come, it’s pretty clear we’ll be getting someone new for the part. The DCEU may have failed Ben Affleck’s Batman, but as great as it would be to go back in time and fix things, maybe we should heed Bruce Barry’s warning and keep moving forward.
Source: Collider
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