Ben Affleck Reveals Why He Retired as Batman
The Batfleck has hung up his cape for good.
Ben Affleck is retiring as Batman after starring in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Justice League." He played a grizzled, older version of Gotham City's Dark Knight, but now he's ready to pass the cape to someone else.
"You know, I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just kind of couldn’t come up with a version — couldn’t crack it," Affleck explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday night.
"So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it, and they got some really good people.”
After 2016's "Batman v Superman," Warner Bros. began to move forward on a standalone Batman movie, with Affleck to star and direct. But 2017's team-up "Justice League" wasn't well-received and there was a sense that the DC universe needed a shake-up.
Then, Affleck stepped down as director. He would still star, however, under the direction of Matt Reeves (the "Planet of the Apes" movies).
But a few weeks ago, Warner Bros. and Affleck confirmed that he would not be returning as Batman. Reeves is reportedly looking to cast a younger actor as "The Batman," which has a release date of June 25, 2021.
Kimmel held a retirement ceremony for Affleck's costume, hoisting it to the rafters where it replaced an outfit worn by the actor's longtime friend and sometimes collaborator Matt Damon: