Zack Snyder Calls Ben Affleck the ‘Best Batman Ever’ in Farewell Message

Former DCEU filmmaker Zack Snyder bids Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne goodbye with a message calling the actor the “best Batman ever.” Debuting in the director’s 2016 film, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the actor reprised the role in 2017’s Justice League. Unfortunately, after persistent rumors for the past couple of years, it was confirmed earlier this month that he’s officially out as the Caped Crusader.

Affleck was supposed to write and direct the planned The Batman standalone, where he was originally going to star as well. But he eventually stepped away from writing and directing, which led to Warner Bros. bringing in Matt Reeves to helm the project. The film has been in development for quite a while now with limited details on what fans can expect in the movie. With no word until recently that Affleck is no longer attached to it, everyone assumed that he was still going to portray the character on the solo adventure despite countless rumors regarding the his involvement. Now that it’s finally confirmed he won’t, Snyder sends his Batman actor off with a heartfelt message.

Related: The DCEU Wasted Ben Affleck’s Batman (& His Other Skills)

Taking to his official Vero account, Snyder posted an image of Affleck during their production days of Batman V Superman’s Knightmare scene. The director added a poetic caption thanking “his friend” for the opportunity to work together. He also called Affleck the “best Batman ever.” Check out the full post below: 

Considering how Snyder’s exit from the DCEU played out, it’s difficult for fans to not get moved with this post. This is not the first time that the filmmaker showered Affleck praises for his portrayal of the iconic DC superhero, late last year, he called him the “perfect Batman.” At that point, people were still holding out hope that they’d see the actor portray the Caped Crusader on the big screen through The Batman. Since Snyder had a hand in casting Affleck for the role, this post means so much more especially given how skeptical most people were when he was first cast. He proved naysayers wrong by being one of the best parts of Batman V Superman – validating Snyder’s decision to pick him to play the part.

At this point, fans can only imagine what Affleck (and Snyder) could’ve brought to the DCEU table. Granted that he’s only played the character in two films, he undoubtedly made the part his own amidst a slew of actors who have previously portrayed the part. Aside from the fact that the actor was fantastic in the role, the premise that he’s an old, hardened version of the Caped Crusader compared to the younger version that the public has seen multiple times is such a unique take. Sadly, with Reeves opting or a much younger version of the character in his upcoming The Batman project, it might take a while before fans see another take on the hero similar to what Snyder was initially going for.

More: Ben Affleck Reveals Why He’s No Longer Involved with Batman