Matt Reeves’ The Batman is set for a 2021 release date but will not feature Ben Affleck as the Caped Crusader.
Affleck, 46, is the most recent actor to play the Dark Knight, appearing in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League.
However, his future in the role had been in doubt and it has now been confirmed Reeves, who will direct and write The Batman, will choose a different actor to take the part.
Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life. https://t.co/GNgyJroMIO
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 31, 2019
Replying to a report that he was passing the torch to “the next generation of Bruce Wayne” Affleck said on Twitter: “Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life.”
The Batman has been given a June 25 2021 release date by Warner Bros.
Details of The Batman are thin on the ground though reports in the US suggest Reeves wants a younger actor to play Wayne.
Reeves’ previous films include 2008 “found-footage” horror Cloverfield as well as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes.
Warner Bros also gave a rebooted Suicide Squad – titled The Suicide Squad – an August 6 2021 release date.
Robert Zemeckis’ The Witches is set to arrive on October 16 2020, while Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep is slated for November 8 this year.