Ben Affleck says he will continue to play Batman

SAN DIEGO • Ben Affleck (right) dismissed speculation that he is being dropped as Batman during a Warner presentation over the weekend that introduced the Justice League and announced a sequel to summer hit Wonder Woman.

Rumours have been swirling that the studio was casting around for a replacement for 44-year-old Affleck to lead a standalone Batman franchise.

"Let me be very clear - I am the luckiest guy in the world," he told a crowd of 6,000 cheering fans at San Diego Comic-Con.

"Batman is the coolest... part in any universe, DC, Marvel, it's incredible. I'm so thrilled to do it."

He said that after two appearances as Batman in Warner's DC Comics Extended Universe (DCEU), studio bosses Kevin Tsujihara, Sue Kroll and Toby Emmerich had made it clear the part would remain his.

"I believe them," Affleck said, adding that he would be "an ape on the ground" for Matt Reeves, who is set to direct The Batman after scoring a hit with War For The Planet Of The Apes.

Affleck will don the cape and cowl in Justice League which opens in November. Fans were treated to the most extensive footage yet of the fifth film in the DCEU.

The four-minute reel featured Wonder Woman rescuing children from a robbery and then teaming up with Batman to recruit Aquaman, the Flash and Cyborg to form a new crime-fighting unit.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2017, with the headline Ben Affleck says he will continue to play Batman. Subscribe