2017’s Justice League served as the DCEU finale for director Zack Snyder, and with Ben Affleck now officially retired from the role of Batman, it seems that the same can also be said for the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice star. In fact, with Affleck ending his run here, his departure effectively means that his turn as Bruce Wayne will always be regarded as a product of the Snyder years, making it appropriate that the filmmaker himself now has a few kind words to share in remembrance of the latest big screen Batman to hang up the cape and cowl.
Taking to Vero, Snyder posted a photo of the man unofficially known as Batfleck, along with a message that starts off as surprisingly poetic, before declaring Affleck the “best Batman ever” and thanking him for “that fucking glorious chin.”
Though the Snyder/Affleck era for the Caped Crusader remains divisive, it’s clear that there are a lot of fans out there who are sad to see the actor go. Nonetheless, the franchise pushes forward, with Matt Reeves’ The Batman reportedly set to begin shooting in November of this year.
Naturally, the internet has yielded more than its share of rumors and suggestions for who the next Bruce Wayne could be, with Kit Harington and Armie Hammer in particular getting a fair amount of support behind them lately. Of course, Reeves and Warner Bros. may well have other ideas in mind, with recent reports suggesting that the movie could be taking us back a few decades to portray a Batman in his 20s.
Hopefully we’ll get some clarification in the coming months, though we’ve still got a long wait ahead of us before we see how Affleck’s replacement fares in the role when The Batman hits theaters on June 25th, 2021.