Ben Affleck confirms plans to quit Batman, looking for "cool way to segue out"

Ben Affleck has confirmed he doesn’t expect to play Batman much longer – although he may still have a movie or two to go.

The 45-year old actor and director made his debut as the beloved DC superhero in 2016’s ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and briefly reprised the role later that year in ‘Suicide Squad’ – and ever since, it has been heavily rumoured that he wanted out of the job.

Now, in promotion on ‘Justice League,’ Affleck has made it clear that, while he isn’t stepping down immediately, his time in the role is limited.

Affleck tells USA Today, “You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.”

As for whether this means he will take the lead in the troubled solo movie ‘The Batman,’ Affleck remains non-committal, stating only that the film is “something I’m contemplating.”

The well-publicised problems behind the scenes on ‘The Batman’ have been a vital element to speculation that Affleck was set to exit the Batcave. Initially, he had been attached not only to play the title role, but also to write and direct the film.

However, Affleck chose to abscond the director’s chair on ‘The Batman’ earlier this year. ‘War of the Planet of the Apes’ director Matt Reeves then took over, and reportedly threw out the existing screenplay from Affleck and Geoff Johns in favour of an all-new script.

This fuelled speculation that Affleck would also be quitting as Batman sooner rather than later; speculation which appeared to be validated by the actor’s brother Casey Affleck, who declared in an interview that ‘The Batman’ would not star his elder sibling.

A July report in The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Warner Bros were planning to “usher out Affleck’s Batman gracefully;” a sentiment that would seem to be echoed in Affleck’s own words about finding “a graceful and cool way to segue out.”

However, shortly afterwards Affleck reaffirmed his commitment to the role at San Diego Comic Con, insisting, Batman is the coolest f***ing part in any universe, DC, Marvel… I’m so thrilled to do it.”

‘Justice League’ opens this Friday, 17 November; ‘The Batman’ does not have a confirmed release date at present.

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