For a while now, rumors have circulated that Ben Affleck would direct the next standalone Batman film, and today those rumors have been confirmed: after completing work on his next directorial effort, an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel Live By Night, Affleck will co-write and direct the first solo Batman film since Chris Nolan wrapped his Dark Knight trilogy in 2012.

And get this: he's co-writing with Geoff Johns, DC's chief creative officer and a dude who's worked on a slew of DC book in the past (including, yes, Batman, Justice League Unlimited, Superman, The Flash, and more). This is...an unexpected development, one I imagine Devin will elaborate on in the near future.

In the meantime, let's talk logistics: chronologically-speaking, where will this film fall among the slew of other DCU films already headed our way, and when can we expect it? Deadline's saying the plot will pick up after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League, the latter of which won't arrive until November 2017. And while they're also speculating that a script may be completed by the end of the summer (thanks in no small part to how well Johns and Affleck are working together), Affleck's still got Live By Night to get through before putting that Bat-script to good use.

Bottom line: the next Batman movie's probably a ways off. But now we know who's making it.

Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, gnash your teeth or celebrate in the comments below.