Ben Affleck Is Breaking A Live-Action Batman Record

In reprising his role as The Dark Knight in The Flash movie, Ben Affleck will set a new record among Batman actors. Though Affleck had previously left the Batman role in early 2019, he will don the cowl once more alongside Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen, with the Scarlet Speedster’s film being inspired by the Flashpoint story arc from the comics. Affleck also won’t be the only Batman in the movie, with Michael Keaton also set to return as his incarnation of Bruce Wayne, as well.

News of Affleck’s return is only the latest internet-stopping DC movie development to be made over the course of this summer. Since the announcement that the Justice League Snyder Cut will debut on HBO Max in 2021, previously unthinkable news has become fairly commonplace for DC’s upcoming movie slate. While Affleck reprising the role after his departure was seen as highly unlikely for the longest time, his return will also accomplish something that no other Batman actor has done.

By appearing in The Flash, Affleck will have played Batman in a total of four movies, surpassing previous record-holder Christian Bale’s three Batman performances in The Dark Knight trilogy. While Adam West and Kevin Conroy each have an overall larger Batman resume, owing to their extensive televised performances in the role, this is nevertheless a noteworthy accomplishment among Batman actors, especially considering that the door had seemed shut forever on Affleck ever returning. Beginning his tenure in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Affleck would also make a cameo in Suicide Squad the same year. Following his appearance in 2017’s Justice League, Affleck officially vacated The Batman last year, having earlier stepped down as director, with Matt Reeves taking over and Robert Pattinson subsequently being cast as Bruce Wayne. Nevertheless, Affleck’s return doesn’t override Pattinson’s Batman or any other due to DC’s film and television properties existing together in a Multiverse.

This was first set in motion by the CW’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event, which included an appearance by Ezra Miller’s Flash alongside countless other references to many big and small-screen DC adaptations. Once news of the possibility of Keaton’s Batman appearing in The Flash arrived, it became clearer than ever that DC’s Multiverse had truly been set in motion, encompassing even properties that had previously been rebooted. All of this is why Affleck’s Batman can appear in The Flash without negating The Batman.

While Affleck’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne was well-received, his time in the role proved tumultuous. This was born out of behind-the-scenes issues that most infamously included Justice League‘s last minute reshoots that completely sidetracked the film from Zack Snyder’s plan. With Affleck having made his support for the Snyder Cut’s release known on multiple occasions, its HBO Max debut next year likely does a lot to explain him being more open to portraying Batman again in other DC movies.

The fact that Affleck, and for that matter, Keaton, will play Batman once more is as clear a sign of a sea change for DC’s cinematic future as recent memory has offered. And in portraying Batman once more in The Flash, Affleck is now set to have more cinematic Dark Knight performances to his name than any of his fellow Batmen.