Ben Affleck is confirmed to return as Batman in The Flash, but the DCEU movie could see the death of his Dark Knight. When Ben Affleck debuted in 2016's Batman V Superman, he proved a divisive choice for the role of Batman. Some fans enjoyed his jaded Bruce Wayne while others found his Batman's brutality too much to take. The actor would appear in a Suicide Squad cameo that same year, before founding the Justice League in Zack Snyder's ill-fated 2017 superhero team-up.
Following Justice League's poor reception, Warner Bros. was still said to be working on Affleck's solo Batman movie, before he dropped out and the project was reimagined as Matt Reeves's upcoming The Batman. It was an underwhelming end for 'Batfleck,' as he was known among audiences. While Affleck's Caped Crusader was certainly not the most popular take on the character, he wasn't without his fans, and seeing him peter out without an appropriate send-off was disappointing for many.
Now, it's been confirmed that Ben Affleck will return to the role of Batman for the 2022's The Flash. The long-gestating Flash solo movie is now shaping up to be a seminal entry in the DCEU canon, ushering in the age of the DC cinematic multiverse and taking DC on a very different path from its recent attempts to mimic Marvel's shared universe success. But with DC looking to shake things up after a disappointing run of superhero blockbuster attempts, and with the company already positioning Robert Pattinson as its primary DCEU Batman going forward, it seems likely Affleck's Batman might not make it out of the movie alive. Here's why The Flash could prove to be the death of 'Batfleck'.
The Flash will adapt the popular comic book storyline Flashpoint, where Barry Allen travels back in time only to arrive in an alternate reality. The plot of The Flash won't follow the comic book version exactly, but will certainly make the alternate reality aspect a central part of its narrative. In fact, Miller's Barry Allen is said to visit "various parallel dimensions" in the film, thereby unveiling the cinematic multiverse. The concept first debuted in DC comic books and means that every DC movie and TV Show exists within one unified multiverse. This allows DC to make as many standalone stories as it likes, always with the option of having them cross-over in some multiverse-traversing storyline: much like the one The Flash will tell. Director Andy Muschietti has confirmed that every DC movie of the past, present, and future is included in the DCEU multiverse, meaning audiences could see multiple different versions of the same superheroes in the movie.
This also means The Flash could showcase multiple versions of Batman and it's already been reported that Michael Keaton will be reprising his Batman from the Tim Burton movies. Miller's Flash will likely discover Keaton's Dark Knight in an alternate reality after attempting to travel back in time to save his mother's life. Of course, this version of The Flash fought alongside Affleck's Batman in Justice League and would consider him the "original" version of the Dark Knight. It, therefore, makes a lot of sense for Affleck to return in The Flash, likely carrying on the burgeoning mentor relationship the two characters started in Justice League. But with the confirmation of "various parallel dimensions" appearing in the film, it's at least possible Miller's Flash will encounter numerous versions of Batman beyond Keaton and Affleck's. The film is said to unite the DC Multiverse in a similar, yet grander way to the Arrowverse's recent Crisis On Infinite Earths event. As such, it wouldn't be too surprising to see a few more Bat-actors show up in the final movie.
DC and Warner Bros. are about to launch into a genuinely exciting phase in DCEU history. With the multiverse set to bring the concept of multiple realities into a mainstream superhero franchise, the possibilities for different versions of the same hero immediately become effectively limitless. With that said, DC will want to ensure its multiversal offerings don't become too complex and alienate general audiences. With the return of Keaton's Batman alongside Affleck's and the potential for numerous iterations of Batman to show up in The Flash, things could get confusing quickly for those unfamiliar with the multiverse concept. As such, DC will likely want to keep the focus on Robert Pattinson's Batman, who looks set to become the primary DCEU Dark Knight going forward. Killing off Affleck's Batman in The Flash will send a clear signal that his version of the vigilante belongs to an older version of the DCEU and that audiences are witnessing the birth of an all-new DC cinematic universe.
Aside from giving him a clear and final send-off, killing Affleck's Batman would also allow Miller's Barry Allen to step into the thematic space left by his departure. Muschietti has already made much of the emotional links between the two characters, pointing to the loss of their parents as a unifying theme. If the Affleck Batman dies in The Flash, Miller's hero can provide a suitable replacement for him, bringing the same emotional backstory and motivation to the DCEU without DC having to immediately insert a new Batman into Flash's timeline. That would allow the company to keep Robert Pattinson's more grounded take on the Dark Knight in his separate, standalone timeline for the time being – giving Pattinson time to establish himself without having to worry about fitting into the wider continuity – though Affleck's return seemingly clarified Pattinson's place in the DCEU already. Meanwhile, Affleck can depart having finished his story arc and with Bruce Wayne having properly passed on his wisdom to Barry Allen.
When Affleck debuted as Batman in Batman V Superman, he appeared as a careless and brutal version of the anti-hero. An older version of the character, 'Batfleck' was a jaded vigilante who had taken to branding criminals with his Bat-symbol and having little regard for human life. As the film plays out, Batman's morality is fully restored through his interactions with Superman. It's this more scrupulous version of the Dark Knight that appeared in Justice League, where he makes it his mission to defend the world against a looming threat by forming the titular collection of heroes. Then, when audiences and critics responded so poorly to the movie and Affleck dropped out of his solo Batman film, 'Batfleck' essentially faded from the spotlight without any kind of resolution to his story.
But if The Flash sees the death of Affleck's Batman, it will presumably come after his 'redemption narrative' has been brought full-circle – giving the character a complete story arc and a fitting send-off. Amid the ugliness that was Justice League, one interesting element stood out as deserving of more exploration. Affleck's Bruce Wayne, in his quest to unite the Justice League, tried to recruit Barry Allen and immediately falls into the role of mentor to the young hero, who admits to Wayne before facing off against the movie's villain Steppenwolf for the first time that he has "never done battle". Wayne guides Allen through his first major experiences as part of a superhero team and looked set to carry on this kind of mentorship role in future outings.
Of course, once the response to Justice League forced DC to rethink its plans, many of the story elements set up by the movie were seemingly scrapped. But with Affleck – who's said to actually suit up in The Flash – returning, fans will finally be able to see the mentor dynamic play out. Having come through his dark phase in Batman V Superman and having saved the world in Justice League, Wayne will now be able to pass on his wisdom to a worthy successor before leaving for good. On top of that, Wayne's death will force Miller's Flash to fully confront his insecurities about being a hero. Losing his mentor would embolden the scarlet speedster to embrace his role as a hero if only to honor the memory of his departed advisor. Not only would killing off Affleck's Batman in The Flash bring his story arc to a satisfying close, then, it would also set up Miller's Flash, who thus far hasn't proven to be the most popular character among fans, as a legitimate and serious hero going forward.
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August 28, 2020 at 05:02AM
