Even though there have been significant alterations in who decides the future of DCU from here on out, the MCU rival is yet to find its footing. At a time like this, bold declarations, no matter how vague, coming from those at the helm of the DC cinematic universe are enough to kickstart a debate, especially when said comments are interpreted as an announcement of the end of Ben Affleck’s time as Gotham’s savior.
The catalyst behind said concern are words David Zaslav, President and CEO at Warner Bros. Discovery recently shared when asked about his plans for DCU’s future. Apparently, with James Gunn and Peter Safran steering the ship now, the focus isn’t to dive too much into the multiverse, which means doing away with any unnecessary characters, for starters, the many Batman living in their respective realities.
“I think over the next few years, you’re going to see a lot of growth and opportunity around DC, there’s not going to be four Batmans.”
Apart from sparking questions about who is being counted as the fourth Batman, Zaslav’s comment has instilled fear in the heart of Ben Affleck fans that he is the caped crusader who will be given the boot.
A few reasoned that WB is no longer invested in depicting the version of Batman Affleck represented on screen.
Evidently, not everyone is ready to accept this possibility and are already pointing fingers at DCU’s messy depiction of the multiverse.
One user theorized how the studio is most probably planning to relegate Affleck to the sidelines.
But some are optimistic and certain that the Batman who is set to leave the DCU is Michael Keaton given the recent Warner Bros. tweet.
Even though Affleck is all set to appear in Aquaman 2 and The Flash, there is no denying that his presence in the DCU hasn’t been afforded the same certainty currently being enjoyed by Henry Cavill, who apparently felt so secure in his future as Superman that he didn’t think twice before biding the Geralt of Rivia goodbye.