Ben Affleck Officially Announces he’s Done as Batman

If you’re going to hang up the cape and cowl, doing it with a little humor and grace is a great way to go out. Ben Affleck announced that yes, he’s out as Batman, which has long been expected. Affleck was on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his new film Triple Frontier when they got to talking about Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman film. Affleck confirmed that after putting a lot of thought into it, he decided to step away.

“I tried to direct a version of it, worked with a really good screenwriter, but couldn’t come up with a version,” Affleck said. “Couldn’t crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it and they got some really good people.”

In pure Kimmel fashion, he had something special ready for the former Batman—a retirement ceremony.

“Warner Bros. has given us something and we’re going to officially retire your Bat cape in the rafters,” Kimmel said. “That is your official cowl and cape.” Enter Kimmel’s sidekick Guillermo, wearing the Robin costume, holding the cape. Only the cape came with a number—#12—which belongs to Affleck’s beloved New England Patriots quarterback and Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Watch for yourself to see Affleck offer a twist on the most iconic Batman line of them all:

The hunt for a new Batman is officially on. Reports have already confirmed that Reeves will be looking for a younger actor to take on the role. In the meantime, Warner Bros. and the DCEU have a lot going on. Todd Phillips Joker, a stand-alone about Batman’s most notorious enemy, is due in theaters on October 4, 2019. Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, is next up on February 7, 2020. As for Reeves’ Batman film, we’ll have to wait until 2021, at the earliest, to see it on the big screen.

Featured image: Ben Affleck is ‘Batman’ in ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ Courtesy Warner Bros.