Ending weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck, is set to play Batman in the untitled sequel to Man Of Steel opposite Henry Cavill and directed by Zack Snyder. The press release from Warner Bros. stated on Thursday night.
There were rumors flying around all over the internet ever since Zack Snyder announced that a movie putting Batman against Superman for the first time ever would follow the box office success of Man Of Steel the latest adaptation of the Superman comic.
Ben Affleck was one of the names that recent reports suggested could play Bruce Wayne, a.k.a Batman . Other possibilities were Luke Evans ( Fast And Furious 6) , Ryan Gosling ( The Notebook ), Wes Brantley ( The Hunger Games ), Jake Gyllenhaal ( Zodiac) , and others.
But it seems that the studio and Zack Snyder were satisfied that Affleck could take on the role. It has also been reported that Snyder was looking for a more mature actor, in his mid-forties.
Ben Affleck comes of a high in 2012 in which his film Argo won the Oscar for Best Movie of the year.
The press release adds,
“Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he established in Man of Steel .”
The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, World Wide Marketing and International Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures.
Man Of Steel 2 or Superman vs. Batman as the film is known so far also stars Amy Adams, Diane Lane, and Lawrence Fishburne.
The studio has slated the untitled film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015. The Man Of Steel sequel casting can now move forward with the addition of Ben Affleck in the role of Batman.