Writer and director Matt Reeves‘ standalone Batman film has finally been given a release date. And it will feature a brand new Batman. At least, that’s what it looks like.

According to new reports, The Batman will hit theaters in summer 2021. However, Ben Affleck will not be there to don the cape and cowl, something he has done since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. More on the report below.

Recently Netflix acquired Mowgli (previously titled Jungle Book: Origins), a new adaptation of The Jungle Book directed by Andy Serkis, from Warner Brothers.

Now another Serkis project has been set up at Netflix. The streaming giant has acquired the rights to author George Orwell‘s 1945 allegorical novella Animal Farm, and Serkis will direct the adaptation.

It wouldn’t be The Batman without the rumor mill churning out another rumor about it being Ben Affleck‘s last DCEU film. Rumors of the actor trying to find a graceful exit have been floating around since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to meet expectations. But the actor stuck to his film commitments, and if we are to believe the rumors, he wants out any way possible.

So, one way was The Batman, a Batman standalone that he was supposed to write and direct. While he wasn’t able to crack that script, the film could still be used as an outlet for his exit. Now there are reports that the film could just be rebooted entirely, and without Affleck. More on the story below.

In the past few days, DC fans have been wondering what the heck is going on over at Warner Bros. Two different Joker movie announcements in two days, one is a Joker origin story not set in the DCEU, and the other a Joker and Harley movie that isn’t related to Suicide Squad 2 or Gotham City Sirens. While there are many trying to make some sense of this, one person who is clearing the air surrounding his movie is The Batman director Matt Reeves.

Yesterday, Reeves said WB told him that The Batman is “a standalone, it’s not part of the extended universe.” At the time, many speculated that it would be somehow related to the Joker origins movie and that Ben Affleck was no longer a part of this particular project. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. In fact, Reeves took to social media to confirm that The Batman will in fact be a part of the DCEU. Check out what he had to say below.

If there was one DCEU film that has been giving Warner Bros. the biggest headache, it would have to be The Batman. The film which would see Ben Affleck reprise his role as the titular character has been going through a series of behind-the-scenes troubles that have prevented it from entering production. Affleck stepped down as the director because he felt unable to give the film the attention it needed. Then came the rumors that he no longer wanted to be Batman. And now there is word that Warner Bros. will be launching a new banner with DC, that will tell new and unique stories with new actors playing iconic characters that will be separate from the DCEU, such as the just announced Joker origins film.

Now I bring that up because it appears that The Batman is heading in the same direction. In a recent interview director Matt Reeves says the film is a standalone, and is not a part of DC’s extended universe. More on the story below.