On January 31, we got the official announcement that director Matt Reeves is finally going ahead with the production of The Batman. It will be the first solo Batman movie since Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, that came out in 2012. The Batman will be a part of Warner Bros' and DC's ongoing Universe. There is a catch, though. Ben Affleck, who had played Bruce Wayne/Batman in this DCEU till now, will no longer play the role. Instead, the makers would be looking for a younger actor to continue that character. Warner Bros to Release The Batman in June 2021 and Ben Affleck Will NOT be a Part of It.

This is kind of disappointing, since Affleck's take on Batman had its huge merits. He was easily one of the few positives of the muddled Batman V Superman, playing the vengeful, ageing and often, violent vigilante. Justice League was a letdown, though, as the makers insisted on making him a butt of jokes. Even Ben Affleck's performance felt lacklustre, though I am sure, most of the blame should go for the troubled production. He also had a cameo in Suicide Squad. Ben Affleck No Longer The Batman for Matt Reeves’ Film! 5 Actors We Want to See Replace Him!

In another way, Ben Affleck's exit makes sense, since this version of the Batman was meant to have a shorter shelf-life (hence the older age). If Zack Snyder had his way, then there would have been two Justice League movies, and as per some reports, Batman would have died in the second. That was not to happen, as Snyder was fired during the production of Justice League (Joss Whedon was hired to handle the reshoots) and the rest is some very forgettable history.

Now that Ben Affleck is out, let's take a trip back to the first time he entered DCEU and list down five most awesome scenes that he gave to the franchise!

"Tell Me, Do You Bleed?"

Movie: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

This badass line uttered by Batman went on to become the fodder for a lot of memes. This scene gets an awesome counter-reaction in Justice League, when a resurrected Superman uses the same line on Batman before throwing him to the ground like a rag doll.

Running Into The Debris

Movie: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Ben Affleck's Batman impressed us in the first scene of his appearance itself, when he runs into the hubris left after Superman-Zod battle.

Beating Superman Into Submission

Movie: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Even in that suit of armour, Batman is a mere mortal while Superman is one of the most powerful beings in the universe. And yet, in his vengeful rage, Bruce Wayne preps his body up for that ultimate battle with Superman. With some careful planning and generous help from Kryptonite, Batman easily managed to best Superman. It is another matter that the end of the scene is ruined by 'Martha'.

Saving 'Martha'

Movie: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Though that 'Martha' idea ruins the film to some extent, it also leads to an excellent action scene, the best in BVS. You know the one where he saves Martha by battling (and even killing) Lex Luthor's men. A few more of these scenes and BVS would have been a classic!

Recruiting The Flash

Movie: Justice League

It may share similarities with the scene between Tony Stark and Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War. And yet, the whole scene is damn funny, more so because Barry Allen's over-eagerness bounces off well against Bruce's steeliness.

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck-less The Batman has been given a release date of Summer 2021. No other cast details have been revealed as of yet, though we are sure whoever will be hired will have some pretty big shoes to fill.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2019 08:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).