Ben Affleck addressed rumors that he’s stepping down from the role of Batman, telling fans at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday, July 22, not to believe everything they read.
“Let me be very clear,” he said during a panel promoting the new Justice League film. “I am the luckiest guy in the world. Batman is the coolest part in the universe. I’m so thrilled to do it. It’s f–king amazing.”
Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Warner Brothers was looking for a new, younger actor to play the Caped Crusader (Affleck turns 45 next month), with plans to gracefully usher out Affleck’s Batman.
Adding fuel to the fire was the news on Wednesday, July 18, that the Oscar winner — who had already stepped down from directing the next Batman movie — was dropping out of the Netflix film Triple Frontier to take some time to focus on his wellness and family.
Affleck, who has made three film appearances as Batman (in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the new Justice League, as well as a cameo in Suicide Squad), reiterated to the Comic-Con audience that he “loves being in Hall H and being able to say, ‘I’m Batman.’”
He added that he “would be an ape on the ground for Matt Reeves,” who has taken over directing duties for The Batman and reportedly plans a trilogy with the Gotham City crime fighter.
Justice League hits theaters on November 17. There is no release date yet for The Batman.