When the sequel for Man of Steel was announced, director Zack Snyder indicated that he would pair Batman in the story using elements from The Dark Knight Returns. They have found their new Batman, none other than Oscar-winning screenwriter, Ben Affleck.
Affleck will join Henry Cavill in sequel, the Warner Bros. announced earlier this evening. When the project was announced at Comic-Con earlier this year, much speculation centered on who would play the caped crusader. Snyder is back in the director’s chair for the project, which places Batman and Superman together on the big screen for the first time.
Affleck is no stranger to the superhero genre. He played the title role in Marvel’s 2003 film, Daredevil, and embodied George Reeves — who starred in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman — in 2006’s Hollywoodland.
The move also furthers Affleck’s relationship with the studio after last year’s Academy Award-winning Argo and the crime drama, Live By Night, on which he serves as both a director and co-writer.
Man of Steel has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date.
The film is slated to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.