Batman rumors suggest Jake Gyllenhaal could replace Ben Affleck, and more

It just wouldn’t be a Batman production cycle without baseless rumors citing unnamed sources flying around the internet.

It can be difficult to keep up with all of the gossipy tidbits floating around — is Ben Affleck staying on as Batman or is he leaving? — and even harder to try and figure out what rumors are real. Affleck did say at San Diego Comic-Con he wasn’t going anywhere, but then backtracked those statements in November. We’ve collected the latest, biggest rumors about The Batman for you, so you don’t need to track each individual story down, and assigned a grade predicting their likelihood of ever coming true.

Again, like any movie in pre-production, take all rumors with a grain of salt.

The Batman is an interesting case, however, considering just how tumultuous production on other DC Cinematic Universe films have been. We’ve heard time and time again that Affleck wants to leave the DC franchise. Warner Bros. and DC Films are in the middle of giant shakeups, with executives being replaced and new talent brought on board.

There’s enough circumstantial evidence to believe that Affleck could be gearing up to depart the Batman franchise, but not enough substantial evidence to report it as fact — just like any pre-production film.

Still, we’re just as invested in who will play Batman as you are, and that’s why we’re running down the rumors seen below.

Jake Gyllenhaal could replace Ben Affleck in The Batman

Affleck’s role in The Batman has been up in the air for months, but a source tells fan site Revenge of the Fans that a new actor is already being lined up if Affleck departs.

“Gyllenhaal is probably Batman,” the source said. “Affleck is not out of it yet. That’s the thing, he still has a contract. But the studio is sour on him. If Ben rolls, Jake is in.”

Gyllenhaal “probably” stepping in for Affleck isn’t a sign of confidence, but then again, neither is Affleck’s laissez-faire attitude. In November 2017, Affleck told USA Today he was looking for a “cool and graceful” way to leave the Batman role.

“You don’t do it forever, so I want to find a graceful and cool way to segue out of it,” Affleck said.

The question is whether that happens before or after The Batman, which doesn’t have a release date at this time.

Probability of this being true: 55 percent.

Affleck’s last role as Batman could be Flashpoint

Again, the question that’s becoming much clearer as we barrel toward The Batman and other DC Cinematic Universe films isn’t whether Affleck will leave but when.

A new report from Batman on Film suggests that Affleck will don the cowl in one more movie: Flashpoint or Suicide Squad 2.

Flashpoint, which has been in its own state of “welp” since director Rick Famuyiwa left the project in 2016, makes the least sense for Affleck when looking at the timeline. If Affleck wants to leave the role — and soon — then it’s easier to work on Suicide Squad 2, which is due out in 2019, rather than wait for Flashpoint, being released in 2020.

On the other hand, one of Justice League’s best aspects was Affleck and Ezra Miller’s on-screen chemistry as Batman and Flash. If Affleck wants to go out with a slightly better bang, it might be worth it to hold out for Flashpoint in 2020.

Probability of this being true: 30 percent.

The Batman still has a long way to go

If we toss Affleck aside for a minute, there are still questions about whether The Batman will be ready anytime soon.

Director Matt Reeves, best known for his work on War for the Planet of the Apes, said that as of last month, a script hadn’t actually been written yet.

“I have the story worked out and I am outlining,” Reeves said while on The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith podcast.

That means The Batman may not have an actor, doesn’t have a script and is currently up in the air. Basically, we’re back to where we first started when Polygon first asked “what’s going on with The Batman?”

Probability of this being true: 100 percent.

We’ll keep you updated on what happens with The Batman; at this point, let’s just hope it’s eventually released.