Ben Affleck says 'it's time for someone else' to take over Batman

Ben Affleck has finally explained why he's hanging up his cowl.

The actor confirmed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he won't be returning as Batman in the upcoming 2021 film directed by Matt Reeves, saying that he "worked with a really good screenwriter" on the project but "couldn't crack it." Therefore, he explained, "I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it."

Affleck was at one point scheduled to direct The Batman, but Matt Reeves has since taken over. It had previously been reported that the film would star a younger version of the caped crusader played by a different actor, a report Affleck seemed to confirm by tweeting out a link to that story and saying he's excited for the film.

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There was still, however, the question of whether Affleck could return in a future Batman film should Warner Bros. want to bring back the older version. That doesn't seem likely, though, as when Jimmy Kimmel asked Affleck whether it's true that he will "not be Batman again" — not simply that he'll be sitting out one film — Affleck appeared to confirm that this is the case.

This brings Affleck's portrayal of Batman to a conclusion after just two films, unless you count his cameo in Suicide Squad. Rumors had swirled over Affleck's possible exit for years, especially after Justice League faced a negative reception. But Affleck in 2017 denied these reports, saying he wouldn't be giving up the role anytime soon because "I am the luckiest guy in the world."