Last month, we learned it was “highly unlikely” Ben Affleck will play Batman in The Batman, although he would reportedly don the cowl one last time for Flashpoint. At the time, a rumor was also circulating that The Batman director Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) wanted to recast Jake Gyllenhaal as Batman.
Since then, we’ve only heard one thing through official channels about The Batman. Reeves said, “I have the story worked out and I am outlining,” while a guest on The Q & A Podcast with Jeff Goldsmith last month (episode 2, around the 1:46:32 mark). In other words, the script was only an outline as of last month.
Meanwhile, several rumors have emerged about whether Ben Affleck will play Batman again, with the consensus seemingly being he’ll play Batman in Flashpoint or Suicide Squad 2. As for who will play Batman next, those rumors about Gyllenhaal are back again, with Revenge of the Fans claiming a source told them, “[Jake] Gyllenhaal is probably Batman. Affleck is not out of it yet. That’s the thing, he still has a contract. But the studio is sour on him. If Ben rolls, Jake is in. Kind of a weird web. These guys both know they control each other’s destiny.”
That’s just a rumor, of course. And there’s a big difference between having a name in mind and having a contract already signed. That said, if they do sign a new actor to take over the role, maybe they’ll learn from the past and sign him for more than one movie at a time.
(Via The Q & A Podcast with Jeff Goldsmith, Reddit, Batman on Film, and Revenge of the Fans)