Ben Affleck is returning as Batman in The Flash

Ben Affleck is set to reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming movie adaptation of The Flash. The actor has repeatedly denied interest in ever taking up the role again.

According to Vanity Fair, Affleck has agreed to return as the Caped Crusader for "one more movie." The Flash movie is being directed by Andy Muschietti, known for directing the 2017 movie adaptation of Stephen King's It and its sequel, It Chapter Two.

"[Affleck] is 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," Muschietti said. "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 relationship between Affleck's Bruce Wayne and Ezra Miller's The Flash in Zack Snyder's movies is also key to Muschietti's story - another reason the director felt it was crucial to bring back Affleck. "He's the baseline. He's part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry's adventure," the director said. "There's a familiarity there."

Affleck was once attached to direct and star in The Batman, now helmed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. He later ditched the cape and cowl entirely, telling the New York Times that his departure was related to personal issues. He later reaffirmed in a 2020 interview with DeWayne Hamby that he'd stepped away from playing Batman because he'd "lost interest in those stories."

The Flash is currently set for release on June 2, 2022. Michael Keaton is also said to be reprising his role as Batman in what Muschietti calls a "substantial" part of the movie.

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