At this point, nobody truly knows what is going on with Matt Reeves' The Batman, but we can make at least one educated guess. Ben Affleck isn't likely to return as the Dark Knight, as it's been fairly clear from the start that Reeves wants to cast a younger actor. With a script that has now been turned in and production supposedly to begin next year, some concrete details should emerge soon. But first, a little more speculation.
According to Revenge of the Fans (judge accordingly), there was interest from Affleck and Warner Bros. in the actor returning to the role. However, it was Reeves who shot down the idea when approached with it. The plan would've been to have Affleck's older version of Batman bookend the story, telling a tale from his youth, with a younger actor hired to play the earlier Batman. Reeves heard their idea and nixed it, thinking Affleck's involvement would be a distraction.
Maybe he was right on that score, maybe not. I tend to think having a star like Affleck is a good thing. Anyway, this is all rumor, including the report's claim that we might not see the movie until 2021, even if Warner Bros. gets it done next year. That just doesn't ring true to me given the long wait and all of the problems. The sooner it gets out there in front of audiences the better.
