The superhero genre has been dominating the entertainment industry for years now. As such, a number of shared universes have been created so that studios can compete for box office supremacy. That includes the DCU, which has plenty of twists and turns both on and off the screen. The latest DC movie to hit theaters is Blue Beetle, and co-CEO James Gunn just addressed rumors about a scrapped Ben Affleck Batman cameo. Cue the fomo!
A few months ago James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of the DCU. But a few upcoming DC movies were already in the can by that point, including Blue Beetle, which was shifted from a streaming to full theatrical release. And after rumors swirled around the internet about Ben Affleck being cut from his cameo, Gunn tweeted out directly to fans. As he put it,
I've never heard of a Ben Affleck voice cameo in Beetle, nor has Peter, much less cut one. I never heard of one because one never existed (just asked the producers).
Well, there you have it. While James Gunn wasn’t directly involved with the filming and editing of Blue Beetle, he was able to use his new power at DC to get to the bottom of it. Not only did he not personally cut a Batfleck cameo, it never actually existed. And just like that Gunn has debunked another popular rumor.
There have been rumors surrounding Batman and Blue Beetle for quite some time now, especially after cast member George Lopez insinuated the Dark Knight was included in the latest DC flick. But maybe he just got his wires crossed, as Gunn made it seem like said cameo never existed. Although fans would have definitely been excited to see Affleck’s Batman get another appearance on the big screen.
Ben Affleck has appeared a number of times throughout the DCU as Bruce Wayne. In addition to his main roles in Batman v Superman and Justice League (both versions), he also did a cameo in Suicide Squad and had a supporting role in The Flash. The latter project was released only a few months ago, and considering The Flash’s wild ending, fans are actually wondering which version of Batman exists in Blue Beetle.
It’s currently unclear if/when we’ll see Affleck play Batman again. There were reports that he had a role in Aquaman 2, although the latest rumors indicated it was actually cut. The shared universe is getting a new Superman, so we’ll have to see if a new Bruce Wayne also pops up. Only time will tell.
Blue Beetle is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
