Vanity Fair has revealed that Ben Affleck is set to reprise the role of Batman in The Flash movie that will race into theaters in 2022. With the Fastest Man Alive confirmed to travel between different realities in the DC Multiverse, it’s already been reported that Michael Keaton will be back as the Caped Crusader, but we never expected to see this version of the hero again. 

Affleck received the script for the movie last week, and has now agreed to star in the project.

“He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie,” director Andy Muschietti explains. “The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before. 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.”

The filmmaker later added that Keaton’s Batman will have a “substantial” part, but it wouldn’t work for the Flash to meet another Dark Knight without “the original” being part of the proceedings. “He’s the baseline,” the director notes. “He’s part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry’s adventure. There’s a familiarity there.”

In the same interview, producer Barbara Muschietti reveals that she was surprised Affleck was happy to return as Batman given past comments he made about playing the character, but noted that “he’s now in a very different time in his life. Right now he’s in a place where he can actually enjoy being Batman. It’s a pivotal role, but at the same time it’s a fun part.”

Again, this is news we never saw coming, but Affleck’s Batman will now hopefully get the farewell he deserves, and who knows what else this could lead to down the line.

Are you excited for more Batfleck in the DC Extended Universe?

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Ahead of next week’s theatrical debut of The New Mutants, we sat down with director Josh Boone to chat about his long-awaited X-Men spinoff, and among the many things we discussed, he was quite candid about his original plans for what he envisioned would be a trilogy of films centered on the teenage superheroes. 

Following the Demon Bear storyline in the first film, a potential sequel was going to be an alien invasion movie that would’ve added Warlock and Karma to the team, while the third and final installment would’ve been the most ambitious, adapting the popular “Inferno” storyline and possibly crossing over with the main X-Men continuity.

Boone elaborates, “When we sold it originally, we conceptually sold it as a trilogy, with the second one being an alien invasion movie set in Brazil where Roberto is, where his dad is, who is part of the Hellfire Club. Then, the last one was hopefully going to dovetail with the X-Men movies and we were going to do Inferno, that crossover, which had all these supernatural, satanic horror elements.

The idea was to try to do a different genre, subgenre, of horror movie with each of these movies. That was the idea, but it wasn’t something we thought much about because of the merger and everything else.“

The “Inferno” storyline was a massive crossover in the late ’80s that saw a number of key developments, including the final transformation of Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy) into the Darkchilde, and it sounds like Boone’s third film would have indeed introduced that demonic version of the character.

The mere mention of Darkchilde gets Boone to perk up and he excitedly revealed that prior to filming, he did have discussions with Anya Taylor-Joy about her character’s direction and what would ultimately happen in the potential trilogy capper:

“We told her that in the third movie, there would be two of her. That’s basically what we told her, that there would be two versions of her and that she’d have to play two sides of herself. We were hyped on it!“

Stay tuned for more exclusive The New Mutants coverage throughout the week!

20th Century Fox in association with Marvel Entertainment presents “The New Mutants,” an original horror thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.

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Olivia Wilde has reportedly closed a deal to helm an untitled Marvel movie for Sony Pictures that’s believed to center around Spider-Woman.

The Tron: Legacy actress recently gained a lot of attention for her first directorial feature, Booksmart, and also has psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling starring Florence Pugh, Chris Pine and Shia LaBeouf on her to do list.

This mysterious Marvel project is said to be a “top priority” for the studio, and Wilde came close to passing. However, “the idea of having a chance to launch her own female superhero was too hard to pass up.” 

Wilde will also pen the script with Booksmart writing partner Katie Silberman. Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Connor are on board as producers.

Several different characters have held the mantle of Spider-Woman over the years, including Jessica Drew and Gwen Stacy, but since this concept is being “completely revamped by Wilde,” it’s entirely possible that we’ll see a brand new face under the mask.

Deadline’s report also confirms that S.J. Clarkson’s Madame Webb movie is still in development along with Silver Sable and Black Cat.

What do you guys make of this news? Do you think Wilde will be a good fit to bring Spider-Woman to the big screen? Let us know in the comments.

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Josh Boone’s The New Mutants is finally coming to theaters later this month (whether people decide to venture out to see it is another story), and Disney/20th Century Studios have now shared another TV spot via the movie’s Twitter account.

It’s a brief promo, but there is still quite a bit of new footage in there, including a shot of Mirage (Blu Hunt) entering the realm of the Demon Bear. We also get a glimpse of Rahne (Maisie Williams) transforming into Wolfsbane!

Previous trailers have teased the young mutant’s werewolf form with a quick shot of fur or a pointed ear, but this is the first time we’ve seen her roar into battle with her fangs bared.

“In this terrifying, action-fueled film based on the MARVEL comic series, five young people who demonstrate special powers are brought to a secret institution to undergo treatments they are told will cure them of the dangers of their powers. Included are Danielle Moonstar aka Mirage (Blu Hunt), who creates illusions from other people’s fears; Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), who transforms into the werewolf Wolfsbane; Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), who, as Cannonball, can fly at jet speeds protected by a force field; Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot (Henry Zaga), who absorbs and channels solar power; and Illyana Rasputin aka Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy). The younger sister of Colossus, Magik becomes encased in armor at will and wields a soulsword that amplifies her multiple superhuman and psychic abilities.

Invited by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) to share their stories about when their powers first manifested, the five “patients” come to understand that they are in a class of people called mutants, who have historically been marginalized and feared. As they relive their origin stories, their memories seem to turn into terrifying realities. Soon, they question what is real and what isn’t, and it becomes clear that the institution isn’t what it seems. Now the question is — why are they being held captive? And who is trying to destroy them? The tension and horror mount in this white-knuckle thrill ride directed by Josh Boone and co-written by Boone and Knate Lee.”

Do you guys plan on checking out The New Mutants in theaters? Let us know in the usual place.

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