New DCU’s Batman Cameo Suggests Ben Affleck Could Reprise His Role

Superman (2025) is currently storming through theaters worldwide. The first theatrical installment in the new DC Universe (DCU), which replaces the now (mostly) defunct DCEU (DC Extended Universe), has arrived, so the doors are officially open for an all-new Batman.

While there’s no release date for the upcoming Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold, which is expected to see a new actor step into the role, many fans have already had their first official glimpse at the Caped Crusader of the DCU.

The reveal came in the form of a brief cameo in the animated series Creature Commandos—which forms part of the new DCU—earlier this year.

Which Batman Is It?

Though stylized for animation, this version of the Caped Crusader looks very similar to Ben Affleck’s. He’s tall and hulking, and he even has those blunted ears on his cowl.

While DC Studios’ co-CEO and co-chairman James Gunn, who also wrote and directed Superman, explained in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes in January that this cameo does indeed represent the “DCU Batman”, we still don’t know which actor will eventually don the cape and cowl in the live-action reboot.

Though there were previously talks about Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight being integrated into the DCU, The Batman (2022) and its upcoming sequel exist in their own continuity, which brings us back to Affleck, who played the character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), and The Flash (2023).

Related: New ‘Batman’ (1989) Sequel Explains Why Michael Keaton’s Logo Is Yellow

Will Ben Affleck Return in the New DCU?

Affleck’s appearance in The Flash is said to be his final outing as Batman. But if James Gunn has proven one thing very clearly in recent month,: it’s that this shared cinematic universe reset isn’t a full one. John Cena’s Peacemaker is back (as Season 2 falls under the new DCU), Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller is still in play (she also appears in Creature Commandos), and even Blue Beetle has apparently survived the purge. So why not the Batfleck?

There’s certainly an argument to be made. The Brave and the Bold, the film meant to introduce the new DCU’s Batman in live-action, is expected to center on a more seasoned Bruce Wayne—a father to Damian, already years into his crime-fighting career.

Affleck, battle-worn and charismatic, definitely fits that mold. He wouldn’t need to anchor a franchise, just step in as the patriarch of a new Bat-family, which the film will also reportedly focus on.

Of course, new names are constantly being tossed around: Jensen Ackles, Jake Gyllenhaal, even the occasional wildcard like Jon Hamm. It’s highly likely that Gunn wants a fresh face to go alongside David Corenswet’s Clark Kent/Superman, but until that casting is announced, the animated design is all we have—and it speaks volumes.

Superman Is Out in Theaters Now

Superman is in theaters now.

It stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, and Krypto the Dog.

Are you excited about the new DCU? Who do you think should play Batman? Sound off in the comments!