Ben Affleck opens up about his decision to exit The Batman standalone film. Debuting in Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice as the DCEU’s version of the Caped Crusader, the actor reprised the character in Justice League. From there, he was lined up to direct, write and star in his own solo movie, but between the lack of updates and persistent rumors that he wanted to exit the comic book movie franchise, fans grew skeptical of the project.

Lo and behold, Affleck eventually confirmed that he’s hanging the cape and the cowl, leaving The Batman film to Matt Reeves - who previously boarded the project after the actor decided he was only going to star in the film and not be involved in writing and directing. Now, the long-overdue movie is finally in principal photography with Robert Pattinson tapped to play the next incarnation of the iconic Bat of Gotham. Affleck has been nothing but optimistic about his Batman successor, saying that he think he’s going to do great. That makes sense considering his reasoning for not wanting to be involved in the solo project as he explains recently.

Breaking down his most iconic roles in a new GQ video, Affleck talks about his career milestones - including donning the iconic cape and cowl. He opened up about his experience working with Snyder in Batman V Superman, which he says was a more fun time than doing Justice League. In conjunction to that, the actor also explained that his decision to leave The Batman stemmed from his lackluster enthusiasm for it, and he thought it would be unfair to take on the project if he wasn’t fully committed to it.

Plot specifics for Reeves’ The Batman are still tightly under wraps but with filming in full swing, new details are coming out regarding the film. Pattinson is joined by a stellar cast that includes Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin among others. Reeves has also debuted fans’ official look at the latest incarnation of the hero with a costume reveal, as well as a tease of his Batmobile. It’s still unclear how this film will connect to the DCEU or Affleck’s version, if at all. Todd Phillips’ Joker has set a precedent for DC films existing outside of the established franchise, so it’s possible that Pattinson’s version will be entirely separate from what the public saw from the older and grittier take.

“I had my fill of that. They said, ‘Would you like to direct and star in a solo Batman movie?’ And I found that, at some point, I had lost my enthusiasm or passion for it. And I thought this should really be made by someone who for whom it’s their wildest dream come true. It was clear to me it was time to move on.”

For many fans, not continuing the unique Batman take with Affleck is a shame, but it’s also worth noting that while this whole debacle with the DCEU was going down, he was suffering from various personal struggles. And at the end of the day, he did what he thought was best for him and The Batman. It would’ve been a bigger controversy if he pushed through with the film knowing that he wasn’t fully committed to it. Fortunately, Affleck’s successor, Pattinson is nothing but excited to bring the character to life.

More: Batmobile Reveals Compared: Robert Pattinson Vs. Ben Affleck

Source: GQ

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