Batfleck is coming back in new ‘Flash’ flick

Gotham City is about to get a double dose of crime-fighting vigilantes when Ben Affleck makes his way back to the bat cave following recent news that former caped crusader Michael Keaton will be returning as well. After months of speculation, Vanity Fair is reporting that Affleck has agreed to reprise his role for the upcoming Flash film starring his Justice League co-star Ezra Miller. Batfleck lives!Affleck first put on the bat suit in Zack Snyder’s 2016 Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, playing opposite Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent and Amy Adams’ Lois Lane. Affleck, Cavill and Adams teamed up with Snyder once again for Justice League the following year, a film that also starred Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg and Ezra Miller as The Flash. Snyder was forced to exit the film early due to the devastating loss of his daughter and was replaced by Joss Whedon. After pressure from fans and the cast, Warner Bros. has agreed to release Snyder’s cut of the film through HBO Max in 2021.[video_embed id='1908494']RELATED: Ben Affleck says 'The Way Back' reminded him why he loves making movies[/video_embed]Now Affleck is once again returning to play Bruce Wayne for Miller’s standalone The Flash film and reuniting with the Barry Allen from his multiverse. Director Andy Muschietti, who was recently behind the hugely successful reboot of the Stephen King series It and It Chapter Two, will direct The Flash and says that Affleck’s Batman brings a physical strength and emotional softness to the character that makes him an ideal match for Miller.“He [Affleck] knows how to deliver from the inside out, that vulnerability. He just needs a story that allows him to bring that contrast, that balance,” said Muschietti.Affleck reportedly received the finalized script last week and signed on to the film, which is good news for Muschietti, who says Affleck’s Bruce Wayne plays a crucial role in the film.“He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before,” said Muschietti. "It’s Barry’s movie, it’s Barry’s story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that’s one of the emotional vessels of the movie. That’s where the Affleck Batman kicks in.”Following his two on-screen appearances at Batman, Affleck had signed on to direct the standalone film titled The Batman, but later left the film citing personal reasons. Muschietti’s sister and producing partner Barbara Muschietti told Vanity Fair that she believes Affleck, who was dealing with the end of his marriage to Jennifer Garner and struggling with his sobriety when he accepted The Batman, is in a much healthier place now to play the caped crusader again.“I think it was more about a difficult time in his life. When we approached him, he’s now in a very different time in his life. He was very open to it, which was a bit of a surprise to us. It was a question mark,” said Barbara, adding that although Affleck’s role is pivotal, it’s also a fun role that doesn’t carry the movie. “Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman.”DC Comics will continue to play with multiverses in the upcoming The Flash film, which will also feature an appearance from Keaton’s Batman. The film is expected to be released in the summer of 2022.As for the standalone The Batman film, Matt Reeves took over for Affleck and cast Robert Pattinson as the new strong-jawed hero to help keep Gotham City safe. Zoë Kravitz will play Catwoman, Paul Dano has been cast as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright will play Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon, John Turturro will play mob boss Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis will serve as Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred and Colin Farrell will take on the role of the Penguin. The Batman is expected to arrive in October 2021.[video_embed id='1804509']RELATED: Meet your new Catwoman[/video_embed]