Justice League star Ben Affleck says he’s “contemplating” his role in The Batman and his future as the character. Affleck, of course, took up the mantle of the famed DC character Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman in 2016 with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice , and briefly reprised the character in the DC supervillain movie Suicide Squad later that year. Now, approaching his third turn as the Caped Crusader, Affleck is giving more consideration to his future on the big screen as a superhero. The question of Affleck’s long-term involvement certainly isn’t something new. In July, a report suggested Warner Bros. was looking for a way to create an exit for Affleck in the DC movie universe; a story that seems plausible, seeing as director Matt Reeves is starting from scratch on the script for The Batman, which Affleck at one point was set to write and direct.

The report, however, was quashed by Affleck himself at San Diego Comic-Con a few days later, when the actor said he was excited for the future of his character in the DC film universe. Now, with Affleck back in the hot seat with a press tour for this week’s release of Justice League, the actor is shedding a bit more light on his future playing the role, starting with The Batman.

In an interview with USA Today, Affleck said The Batman “something I’m contemplating,” adding, “You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it.”

With observations like that, there’s no question that Affleck’s days as Batman are numbered – and it seems to point to a matter of not if, but when the 45-year-old star will step away from the role. Despite earlier declarations about what seemed to be a longer commitment to the role, the word “contemplating” suggests that he hasn’t quite decided if he’ll be part of The Batman or not.

Affleck could simply be in a holding pattern for a couple of reasons. For one, he may be awaiting the critical and fan reception to turn in Justice League, which needs to be better than the mixed reception of Batman V Superman. Secondly, he could be thinking that he’ll want to complete the Justice League story arc with Justice League, Part II, and The Batman – a solo movie for the character – could signal a fresh start for another actor in the role. All of this depends on the timing of each production, which could prove to be a distraction if The Batman gets an earlier release date than the second Justice League movie does.

It would be nice to see Superheros actors sticking with a franchise..
I mean think about it, you don't see Daredevil changing in the TV show, or The Flash, so why should there be so many different renditions of Spiderman, as just an example.
I am all for reboots but it's frustrating as hell, and doesn't let you settle into that characters persona.
If there was a different James Bond, per film, this would really affect the franchise. I guess maybe studios are always too busy - usually - thinking about reboots and profit, rather than fans, and, content maybe.