Why Ben Affleck’s Batman is Going to Die in The Flash Movie

Ben Affleck’s Batman is returning for The Flash movie but there seems to be a good chance that his version of Bruce Wayne is killed off in this return. This is a theory a lot of people are going to hate but, if you look at the all of the facts, I look forward to seeing if you think it’s true. For the record, I don’t want Ben Affleck‘s Batman to die! I think he is one of the best do ever don the cape and cowl, if not the outright winner of such a title. However, in announcing Affleck’s return as Batman in what is an adaptation of the Flashpoint comic, it also seems like the filmmakers are teasing the character’s finale.

Affleck was announced as returning to his Batman role for The Flash when an interview with director Andy Muschietti revealed Affleck is “a very substantial and emotional impact of the movie.” We also know Bruce Wayne will design The Flash’s new suit that we saw at DC FanDome but we don’t know WHICH Bruce Wayne. That suit will be worn when he crosses paths with Michael Keaton‘s Batman, so it’s possible but I’m gonna say unlikely it came from Keaton’s Bruce. It more likely came from Affleck’s.

Comic book fans know that when Barry Allen goes back in time, it’s in an attempt to prevent his mother Nora Allen’s death. In doing so, he creates the Flashpoint event and everything gets flipped around and the universe changes as a whole. But, Barry might just come upon that decision by a heavy emotional moment such as losing Bruce Wayne, a character who took him under his wing and coached him up as a hero when all Barry was really looking for was friends. He might see an opportunity not only to save his mom but also his super hero pal.

Furthermore, this gives the fans an opportunity to get closure with Affleck’s Batman. I know that for me, when it was revealed Keaton was returning in The Flash, I was sitting there wondering how they’re just going to ignore Ben’s Batman. They can’t just leave that totally open-ended because for the rest of Ben Affleck’s life! He’ll endlessly be like Ewan McGregor at every press junket being asked if he’ll ever return to the role of Obi Wan from Star Wars. If Ben’s Batman dies, he is freed from the weight of this franchise and Keaton is in place to oversee the saga going forward, as his Batman’s gig is described as a DC equivalent to what Nick Fury does in the Marvel films, basically watching everyone and coaching up young heroes. Of course, there are probably other ways to give a sense of finality for Affleck’s character, but none more definitive than an emotionally impactful death which could come with a legacy impacting remaining heroes.

It’s possible that the filmmakers will see the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Ben Affleck returning as Batman and decide to keep him alive. It’s also possible that I’m wrong, and Ben’s Bat was never gonna die in the first place. But when Flashpoint is said and done with and the multiverse purges loose ends into one clear canon, it doesn’t seem like Ben Affleck’s Batman is going to play a role in future stories. Then again, it didn’t seem like we’d see him again before any of this, so anything is possible.

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The Flash hits theaters in 2022.