‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Reshoots Give Ben Affleck a Cameo as Bruce Wayne
Despite claiming to want to distance himself from the role and franchise fare, Ben Affleck has decided to make another short appearance as Bruce Wayne in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Affleck famously made moves to distance himself from the DC Films franchise following harsh critical reception and disappointing box office to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with subsequent problems with his personal life and the tumultuous development of (two versions of) Justice League leading to his decision to cancels plans for a standalone Batman film that he would direct, produce, write, and star in, along with an additional commitment to appear in two Justice League sequels. Yet in a surprising turn of events, Affleck agreed to appear in not only The Flash in a small but crucial role, but he also shot additional photography for two scenes filmed for the director’s cut of Justice League. Even more surprising is that now, Aquaman actor Jason Momoa has casually revealed that Affleck shot scenes with him for the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Check out the behind-the-scenes photos below:
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Without giving anything away, rumors have suggested that the character of Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, is only there to help with a subplot. Something mysterious happens in the film and Aquaman needs Bruce’s help as a detective in order to help figure it out – but the twist was that the scenes in question were originally going to feature Michael Keaton’s iteration of the character, now part of the DC Extended Universe thanks to the changes made to the setting following The Flash, with the cameo meant to help set Keaton up as a recurring character in other DC Films franchises. Since Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now releasing before The Flash, a change has been made and Keaton’s appearance has been replaced with Affleck’s iteration of the character to preserve continuity. The scene in question isn’t said to be long, and it’s not an action sequence, so it’s entirely possible that Affleck may not even be wearing the Batsuit.
As for future plans for the Batman in the DCEU, those remain unchanged; Keaton and Affleck will both appear as their respective versions of the Caped Crusader in The Flash – with the former appearing at the start of the film and the latter appearing for the remainder of it, thanks to multiverse and time travel shenanigans from the title character – at which point Keaton will take over as the DCEU’s Dark Knight. (What happens to Affleck’s iteration after that point isn’t clear – as it seemed as though the movie was how he would be his swan song – but it seems as though he’s good with additional cameos if he is needed.) Keaton is confirmed to have a significant supporting role in Batgirl, and seems positioned to help usher in the “Bat-Family” of supporting heroes, with a Nightwing project said to be on the horizon. In the meantime, the main cinematic Batman franchise will be headed by Robert Pattinson’s iteration of the character and that continuity, with a second film of at least a planned trilogy in the works.
DC Films is undergoing changes, both as a result of long-term planning from current DC Films head producer Walter Hamada and as a result of Discovery’s acquisition of Warner Brothers – along with outside problems affecting certain creative decisions. Ezra Miller’s future as the Flash is currently uncertain, as it’s been suggested that they plan to recast the character after the solo film hits next year due to the actor’s various scandals. Amber Heard is reportedly being cut out of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as Mera, with it being unknown if the character will simply be written out of the film or recast. It still remains to be seen who will play the Man of Steel going forward, as reinvigorating the Superman film franchise is said to be a priority for Discovery’s David Zaslav, but negotiations between Henry Cavill and Warner Brothers have broken down, resumed, and stalled before. DC Films is being prioritized as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans, and in the process, the film division is being reworked to function more like Marvel Studios as an independent wing of a larger conglomerate.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will release on March 17, 2023.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
