According to a new report, Ben Affleck's last cameo as Batman has already come as another appearance was removed from an upcoming DC movie.
Affleck made a surprising comeback as the Caped Crusader with a minor role in The Flash, sharing a couple of key scenes with Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen before the Multiverse story took over.
And while the DCEU's Batman actor shined in promotional material for this new outing, The Flash's ending put Affleck's future in jeopardy even more so than it already was with the franchise starting anew.
Ben Affleck's Cameo as Batman Removed
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Ben Affleck will no longer be appearing as Batman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Reportedly, former head of DC Films Walter Hamada had intended for Michael Keaton's take on Batman to be in the movie as a figure similar to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in the MCU.
When Aquaman 2 was set to arrive in March 2023, which would have been before The Flash, Keaton's cameo was removed and reshoots took place to put Affleck in the movie instead.
Then, when Aquaman 2's date was moved again, the studio reportedly decided to remove both versions of Batman.
New DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran didn't the movie to promise anything for the future or tie back to the disappointments from previous movies, with one source calling the situation "pretty chaotic."
Is Ben Affleck's Time as Batman Over?
Looking at this report for Aquaman 2, it's clear that the end of this DC Universe got rough after The Flash wound up being such a controversial movie for fans during its theatrical run.
And even with Affleck's cameo still being in place shortly after The Flash premiered, it's surprising to see just how fast things are changing behind the scenes as this set of films comes to an end.
The Flash seemed to actually erase Affleck's Caped Crusader from existence in the DC Universe, and with Michael Keaton's version being dead too, it seems only logical that neither of them will be included in Aquaman 2.
But considering how many changes Aquaman 2 has been through already, this removal should only be another way to put a bow on the former DCEU before Gunn and Safran's new story comes to life.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will premiere in theaters on December 20, 2023.
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