HBO Max Wants Ben Affleck for New Batman TV Show?

Ben Affleck’s’ Batman career has been a tumultuous one, with the actor first being despised for taking the role, before being adored for his gritty, intense performance. While the movies that he starred in received their share of criticism, Affleck was tapped for some time to direct and star in his own solo Batman movie before leaving the project, with the actor now returning to the role for the upcoming The Flash. The back and forth between Affleck and the Batman role has now led to the rumor that he is being sought after to lead a Batman series which would stream exclusively on HBO Max.

The claim has been reported by noted scooper and Twitter user @BlackMajikMan90, who says, “HBO Max is interested in some kind of Batfleck continuation. However, Ben Affleck has not given any sort of decision yet and has not confirmed if he is interested. The ball is in his court. It also comes down to how The Snyder Cut does for HBO Max.”

RELATED: The Batman Resumes Filming with Robert Pattinson

Considering the overwhelmingly positive response to The Snyder Cut, it would not be surprising to learn that HBO Max are going after Ben Affleck for a Batman continuation. With many fans considering Affleck’s portrayal to be the greatest take on the Caped Crusader that has so far been put to screen, there is certainly a lot of desire to see the actor don the cape and cowl far beyond Snyder’s Justice League and The Flash.

This newest rumor runs in contradiction to recent reports from insider sources, who at the time stated that The Flash would be the last time we see Affleck as the superhero icon. “There will be no other films with Affleck’s Batman or an HBO MAX show as has been rumored online amongst many fanboy outlets,” said insiders. “Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman film will not be affected and Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is still viewed as the future of the franchise.”

Aside from The Snyder Cut, Affleck’s Batman will return in director Andy Muschietti’s The Flash. Based on the comic arc The Flashpoint Paradox, The Flash finds the Fastest Man Alive travel back in time in order to save his mother. However, his meddling with time finds the Flash emerging in a bleaker universe in which the Amazons and Atlanteans are at war. This alternate version of the DC universe finds Bruce Wayne dead, killed at the hands of the same criminal who murders his parents in the original timeline. This leads to Thomas Wayne taking up the mantle of Batman, and applying his own, much more violent tactics. Of course, Affleck won’t be the only Batman to join proceedings, with Michael Keaton also confirmed to be reprising the role of the Dark Knight.

Muschietti has already revealed some details regarding how Affleck’s Bruce Wayne will fit into the movie saying, “His Batman has a dichotomy that is very strong which is his masculinity-because of the way he looks, and the imposing figure that he has, and his jawline -but he’s also very vulnerable. He knows how to deliver from the inside out, that vulnerability. He just needs a story that allows him to bring that contrast, that balance.”

Muschietti added, “He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before. It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.” The Flash is due to hit theaters on June 3, 2022.

While many are understandably doubting the validity of the HBO Max rumor, it is worth noting that even Barbara Muschietti, who is attached to The Flash as a producer, was surprised that Affleck wanted to return to the role for the upcoming DC movie. “There have been some all sorts of stories and things he said himself about having a very hard time playing Batman, and it had been difficult for him. I think it was more about a difficult time in his life. When we approached him, he’s now in a very different time in his life. He was very open to it, which was a bit of a surprise to us. It was a question mark… We are all human and go through great times in our lives and terrible times in our lives. Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman. Plus, he doesn’t have to carry the entire movie. It’s a pivotal role, but at the same time it’s a fun part.”

Alongside Affleck’s return, fans are looking forward to seeing Tenet star Robert Pattinson suit up as The Batman. The movie is a noir-driven story that picks up with Bruce Wayne around two years into his crime-fighting career. A young Bruce Wayne has become disheartened by the lack of impact he is having on crime in Gotham when suddenly a series of murders occur at the hands of The Riddler. Lead down a path that will reveal dark secrets about his parents, Bruce is forced to confront the corruption going on in the shadows of his city, all while trying to catch The Riddler before he kills again.

Alongside Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the rest of the cast includes the likes of Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, and Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Gordon. The Batman is currently scheduled to be released on October 1, 2021. Despite having only just returned to filming, production was brought to a grinding halt when Pattinson after the Dark Knight himself, Robert Pattinson tested positive. Thankfully, recent reports indicate that Pattinson is on the road to recovery, with the studio hoping to return to filming again “very soon.”

So, with DC working on a variety of exciting projects at the moment, you can’t really rule anything out and besides, rumors and specualtion are all part of the fun of being a movie fan. This comes to us courtesy of Twitter user @BlackMajikMan90.

Topics: Batman, HBO Max, Streaming