Ben Affleck’s Batman was going to have one final DCEU appearance in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but now it seems his journey ends with The Flash.

Ben Affleck’s last DCEU appearance as Batman, which was supposed to happen in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, will no longer happen. Since his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s Batman has been a controversial iteration of the Dark Knight due to his brutal characterization and lack of protagonist roles in the DCEU. However, Affleck’s portrayal has earned praise and taken an extra opportunity to demonstrate his potential in The Flash, which now seems to be his final DCEU appearance.

The DCEU has toyed with multiple Batmen before the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, which will have its own definitive Dark Knight. The Flash‘s reintroduction of Michael Keaton’s Batman was set to be followed up by Keaton’s return in Batgirl and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and at some point, Ben Affleck’s Batman was going to be the one who would appear in the Aquaman sequel, presumably to receive a final farewell. Now, it seems like neither version of Batman will have a final goodbye, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will likely end the DCEU with no other Justice League characters in a supporting role.

Ben Affleck Is Reportedly No Longer In Aquaman 2

According to a report by THR, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s production problems have resulted in a version of the movie that removes all traces of Batman. The Aquaman sequel has received negative feedback from test screenings and has struggled with its place in continuity, as it needs to decide whether it is the DCEU’s final chapter, a DC movie with ambiguous interconnectivity, a bridge between the DCEU and the new DC Universe, or a prelude to the DC Universe’s first official movie, Superman: Legacy. In order to keep confusion to a minimum and focus on other weaknesses, it seems Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has avoided all Batman connections.

Ben Affleck Was Cut From The Flash’s Ending

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn’t the only DCEU movie that has removed Ben Affleck’s Batman recently. In The Flash, Affleck’s Batman warns Barry Allen of the dangers of time travel and advises him to make peace with his past. Before leaving, Batman declines Barry’s offer to go out for dinner, telling him, “maybe next time”. In one of The Flash‘s many alternate endings — which included Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl reuniting with Barry — Ben Affleck’s Batman would have appeared with a new costume and, according to rumors, would have contacted Barry Allen from a different universe.

Ultimately, both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck were removed from The Flash‘s ending scene, which instead featured George Clooney as Bruce Wayne in a comedic cameo. Similar to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Keaton and Affleck’s absence in The Flash‘s ending avoids setting up a future Batman appearance that would likely clash with the new DC Universe and The Brave and the Bold‘s Batman. With it, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now in no obligation to pay off any Batman tease, which allows the movie to cut Keaton and Affleck’s cameos as well.

Why Ben Affleck’s Last DCEU Scene Is So Unsatisfying

Ben Affleck’s Batman got the chance to showcase his thrilling action s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s in The Flash‘s first action sequence, and his Bruce Wayne got the chance to deliver a heartfelt dialog scene with Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen before departing. Still, Affleck’s bittersweet delivery of his “maybe next time” line is a clear reminder of his wasted potential, and it also raises false hopes of an eventual return. Although not as disappointing as Henry Cavill’s last Superman cameos, Ben Affleck’s final Batman appearance ends on a muted note, made worse by the knowledge that he almost returned, but his scenes were scrapped twice back to back.

Now, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will mark the end of the DCEU, seemingly with no acknowledgment to the wider franchise. If James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe truly reboots DC’s live-action continuity with zero connections to the DCEU other than some returning actors, then not only Batman, but also the Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg fans got to know will have departed without a definitive farewell. In that case, Ben Affleck’s unsatisfying final Batman appearance in The Flash could become the closest thing to a proper final goodbye from any member of the DCEU’s Justice League.

Source: screenrant.com