New Photos of Ben Affleck Have Fans Hoping He's Getting Ready for Batman

There's increasing buzz that DC and Warner Bros. are getting ready to start production on Matt Reeves The Batman by spring of next year, but the question of whether or not Ben Affleck is returning as Bruce Wayne/Batman remains unanswered. That's why some new photos of Affleck are now giving fans hope that the actor is getting his body ready for another run as The Batman:

DISCUSSION: These photos were taken a week ago. He looks like he’s in decent shape at the moment. I hope this is a sign... I hope from r/DC_Cinematic

These photos of Affleck out and about popped up on Reddit, and as you can see, they don't confirm anything solid, but could suggest that there is a work in progress. Affleck's body has been the subject of particular focus and discussion in the last year. Whether its the weight he's put on, or the infamous back tattoo, fans have been increasingly worried that Affleck was showing clear signs of leaving Batman behind.

A quick scan of the comments reveal a healthy amount of skepticism, with a lot of fans simply believing that Affleck is getting himself together, after the toll of some recent life upsets and scandals. The Internet being the Internet, there's also a fair amount of Affleck being mocked, for the same exact reasons. In terms of his involvement with The Batman, the most solid info we know is that Affleck may be involved as a producer (if not a star), and that Reeves and WB are not committing to any kind of answer about whether or not he's coming back.

In reality, we still know little to nothing about anything regarding the next Batman movie. Matt Reeves is directing; the spring 2019 production start seems increasingly likely; a script is supposedly going to be finalized soon; even referring to it as The Batman is inaccurate, as there is no official title that's been revealed. Matters like the storyline and villain(s) are still a mystery - as is what version of Batman we're going to get (and which face will be behind the cowl).

The Batman has no release date at this time. Upcoming DC Extended Universe films include Aquaman on December 21st, Shazam on April 5, 2019, and Wonder Woman 2 on November 1, 2019.