Batman will be returning to theaters on June 25, 2021. The Matt Reeves-directed project just had its release date announced by Warner Brothers.
But don’t be expecting Ben Affleck to be returning as the titular superhero. After playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League, the actor is hanging up the cape as it is being reported that the new film will focus on the earlier years of the character as a superhero.
Affleck himself had this to say on twitter –
Excited for #TheBatman in Summer 2021 and to see @MattReevesLA vision come to life. https://t.co/GNgyJroMIO
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 31, 2019
Batman has been in development for some time with War For The Planet Of The Apes director Matt Reeves overseeing the project, which he has described as very noir and feature a number of the superhero’s rogues gallery of villains.
Reeves elaborated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter –
It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale. It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.
But with this news that a younger actor will be taking over the role comes some questions. Does it mean that this film will be a prequel of sorts to what we have seen before in Warners’ burgeoning DC COmics Extended Universe film franchise or is Warners just chucking away all attempts at having a series of films with tight, interconnected continuity and will allow this to be its own thing? Those answers will be forthcoming, I’m sure.
