DCU’s New Ben Affleck Plan Is Better Than A Batman Return

The planned return of Ben Affleck to the new-look DCU could prove to be better than his return as Batman. With James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over as the heads of DC Studios as announced in October 2022, the planning for the restructuring of the newly branded DCU began. The new DC heads caused many to wonder what would happen to the characters of the old DCEU and how they would transfer going forward.Recent announcements from James Gunn on his Twitter page put some minds at ease as the filmmaker began shedding some light on what the DCU would look like under his and Safran’s leadership. Some of the announcements were met with disappointment, such as Henry Cavill’s Superman exit. However, despite the unfortunate exit of Cavill, another announcement from Gunn features the exciting return of a former DCEU actor in a potentially different role: Ben Affleck.Related: The DCU Can Still Fix One Awkward Ben Affleck Batman Record

Ben Affleck Is Better As A Director Than He Is Batman

When asked if Affleck could potentially return to the DCU by directing the new Superman movie Gunn and Safran have planned, Gunn replied, stating he has spoken to Affleck recently precisely because both parties are keen on having Affleck as a DCU director. While this is the case, Gunn also reiterated that they would need to find the right project for Affleck to direct. This plan, while disappointing the people who want to see Batfleck on screen again, is actually better than having the actor return as Bruce Wayne.

While Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman was great, and he performed the role adequately despite less than stellar writing for a lot of the projects he appeared in – Joss Whedon’s Justice League, for example – Affleck is still more talented as a director. From his directorial efforts like Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo, Affleck has proven his skill as a director and would be a great addition to the DC as such. The latter film even won an Academy Award for Best Picture, with many considering it a snub that Affleck himself was not nominated for Best Director.

What DC Movies Could Ben Affleck Direct?

With Gunn’s announcement comes the inevitable speculation over which DC projects Ben Affleck could direct. Affleck’s previous directorial efforts prove that he thrives in darker, more realistic, and gritty crime-based movies. Due to this, it may be easy to say that Affleck could direct a Batman movie set in the DCU. Though given his time as the Caped Crusader, and his own woes trying to direct a film for the DCEU focused on Batman, it is likely Affleck wants to steer away from the character. In light of this, Affleck could direct another Batman-related character, such as a Nightwing or even a Robin-centered film.

Also, Affleck’s film The Town is an excellent, suspenseful heist thriller. A heist film could fit in the DC universe attributed to characters such as those seen in Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad. While Gunn is likely to direct some future DC movies, his focus, for the time being, will largely be on the planning/writing side, meaning Affleck could find some success with the more obscure characters of the DC universe to better fit his directing style. Regardless, it is clear that bringing Ben Affleck back to direct for the DCU only bodes well for the franchise, even if he will not return as Batman himself.

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