There is nothing I’d love more than for Ben Affleck to star in a Batman trilogy directed by Matt Reeves. But the fact is, Ben Affleck only has one more movie left on his contract after Justice League. Affleck is an incredibly busy guy with lots of talents and interests. He already has his next two directing jobs lined up, and I don’t see him signing up for more Batman movies.

And then there are the rumors. Rumors of Affleck’s departure have been popping up all year. Some from terrible sources, some from ok sources, and some even from reliable sources like The Hollywood Reporter. As fans, I think we have to acknowledge that Affleck not starring in The Batman is a real possibility… even if you think there’s just a 1% chance. So how can The Batman, which Reeves has said is the first of multiple movie ideas he has in his head, make Affleck, Reeves, and Warner Bros. all happy?

Matt Reeves

I think that The Batman will take place 10 or more years before Man of Steel, giving us a Batman who isn’t just starting out, but one who is in his prime. This will allow two things: 1) Reeves will be able to cast a younger actor in the role, one who is able to commit to a trilogy. And 2) it will allow The Batman to still be part of the DC Extended Universe, while giving Reeves tons of creative freedom. We’ll see stories of Ben Affleck’s Batman before the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League, not unlike the Wonder Woman solo movies (the sequel is rumored to take place in the 1980s during the Cold War).

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck loves playing Batman and has one movie left on his contract after Justice League. If he doesn’t star in Matt Reeves’ Batman trilogy, he’ll still get to play the character one more time. Warner Bros. is making a lot of Batman-related movies, so the possibilities of where he could show up are endless.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. gets three Batman movies from Matt Reeves, while still getting Ben Affleck as Batman in another movie. Batman is their most profitable superhero, so the more Batman the better.

So that’s how I think Warner Bros. and everyone involved will handle The Batman situation. Matt Reeves will be able to cast a new actor to tell the stories of a young Ben Affleck Batman, while Affleck will still get to fulfill his contract and play the older version of the DCEU Batman one more time. Reeves is happy, Affleck is happy, and Warner Bros. is certainly happy.

But what do you think? Is this a realistic scenario that you think could happen? Am I crazy and will Affleck sign up for another 10 Batman movies? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!