Ben Affleck 2018: Jennifer Garner’s Ex to Leave DC Universe as Batman?; Actor Reportedly Wants to Pursue Indie Projects

Ben Affleck might not be the face of Batman in the next DC Universe films if a recent report from Radar Online checks out. According to the article, Affleck wants to pursue more independently produced projects — a huge difference from superhero movies that typically have staggering amounts of funds.

Radar Online quoted an insider as saying, “Ben wants to focus more on his career right now. His team wants him to pursue more big-budget films and capitalize on the superhero brand. But Ben is over it.”

For this major career move, the sources claim that Affleck is getting inspiration from actor Joaquin Phoenix. “He’s ready for new projects and feels like he’s maxed out the big budget film direction and will get better acting roles and more kudos with indie flicks,” the source added.

Interestingly, in June, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that there are two Joker movies in the pipeline of DC Entertainment. But the one to be directed by Todd Phillips will be starring Phoenix for the titular role and they are set to begin filming in fall with a reported budget of $55 million.

Now that rumors of Ben Affleck stripping off the Batman suit have been making rounds for months, Forbes contributor Mark Hughes published a list of possible actors to replace Affleck last July 30. Of the 10 speculated actors to take the role, one name is surprisingly not included — Jake Gyllenhaal.

While Gyllenhaal had been rumored to take Affleck’s Batman role for a long time now, the Forbes report argued that Gyllenhaal is already part of the “Spider-Man: Far From Home” cast. This makes it impossible for him to take the Batman role.

Leaving the Batman role is not going to be the only major change happening in Ben Affleck’s life. Fans may recall that Jennifer Garner had filed for divorce from Affleck in 2016. Despite their failed marriage, Garner and Affleck seem to be doing just fine in co-parenting their three children.