Batman Fans React to Ben Affleck Officially Retiring His Cape and Cowl

Kofi Outlaw

02/18/2019 09:52 am EST

Ben Affleck appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, where he officially confirmed that he's no longer playing Batman in the DC Extended Universe:

"...I have decided - I tried to direct a version of it, worked with a really good screenwriter, but couldn't come up with a version," Affleck told Kimmel. "Couldn't crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it and they got some really good people."

Hearing the word from Affleck himself wasn't enough: Kimmel had an entire ceremony to "retire" Affleck's Batman cape and cowl like a sports jersey being hung in the rafters. It was all in good fun, but for a lot of Batman fans the gag was also a solemn bit of symbolism, that has stirred some impassioned reactions:

End of an Era

A lot of fans realize this is the end, but are still crowning Affleck as the G.O.A.T.

Best of the Snyderverse

Affleck's Batman truly was the one piece of Zack Snyder's DC Universe that just about everyone approved of.

Plausible Deniability

If we don't say it out loud or acknowledge it - maybe it isn't real?

GFY WB

We have a feeling Warner Bros. re-upped on the amount of angry fan emails they receive. #BringBackBen could be the 2019 #ReleaseTheSnyderCut!

Full Circle

As you can see, Affleck's Batman ended his career much like he began...

Not Like This...

The most painful thing for a lot of fans is knowing that "Josstice League" will be the end of BatAffleck's DCEU arc. He truly deserved more...

On to the Next One

Right now, we are all @TheBuljso.

Who do you want to see step up to replace Ben Affleck as the next Batman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The DC Movie Universe continues with Shazam on April 5th, Joker on October 4th, Birds of Prey on February 7th, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5th, 2020, and The Batman on June 25th, 2021.

-----

Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

In this latest episode, we talk about the latest Shazam! rumors involving Superman, the Star Wars: Episode IX title and when we're finally going to learn about it, the Avengers: Endgame official images and synopsis & so much more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.