Ben Affleck might not be done with DC after all. While the actor appeared to have hung up the cape as Batman with the announcement of Robert Pattinson being cast as the superhero in The Batman, which took place apart from the DCU, the actor appears to have not totally given up on the franchise. He will have a cameo in the upcoming The Flash, and he did film a cameo for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, although it is currently unknown if his cameo is still in the finished film.

While the DCU is undergoing massive changes behind the scenes following the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new studio heads by Warner Bros., much focus has been put on canceled projects like Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman 3 or a Black Adam sequel. Yet interestingly, it was reported that Ben Affleck had met with Gunn and Safran about possibly directing a DC movie, but they want to find the right project.

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This makes a certain amount of sense as three of Affleck’s directing credits (The Town, Argo, Live by Night) were all at Warner Bros. While the studio has certainly gained a negative reputation among filmmakers over the past few years, Warner Bros. was traditionally known for fostering long term creative collaborations and was the filmmaker friendly studio. After losing Christopher Nolan to Universal Pictures and Zack Snyder to Netflix, the studio is likely keen to keep Affleck happy. With that in mind, here are five DC films Affleck would be a strong fit to direct, as these movies are either announced as being in development or rumored.

Batman

     Warner Bros. 

The most obvious DC character for Affleck to direct is Batman. Not only did the actor play the character in the DCU, but he also was originally set to direct a new solo Batman film. After Affleck departed the director’s chair the project eventually became Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which was set outside the DCU. Affleck could always return to direct a new Batman film set within the new DCU franchise, possibly reformatting his original script to fit the new franchise.

It is unclear though if Warner Bros. would want two separate Batman franchises running at the same time. Gunn has mentioned that Batman is part of their new plans, so the character could always be planned as a supporting character in other films while Robert Pattinson continues his Batman film series. Yet the prospect of Affleck directing a new Batman movie would be a long-awaited return.

Superman

     DC Comics

One of the few projects that are already confirmed for James Gunn’s DCU is a new Superman movie. It is already known that Henry Cavill will not return for the film, and instead, the movie will focus on a younger version of the character during his early years as Superman. Gunn is writing the script and currently, no director is attached. While it is safe to assume Gunn would helm the project, he might be too busy with his other duties and may hand over the director’s chair to someone else.

Affleck would be an appropriate fit to direct Superman as he was one of the original directors considered to direct Man of Steel and played Superman actor George Reeve in Hollywoodland. A pairing of Ben Affleck as a director with a script by James Gunn is certainly a way to generate a new Superman movie as a big deal to audiences.

Metal Men

Metal Men has been in development at Warner Bros. since 2012, a year before Man of Steel launched the DCU. The Metal Men were created in the 1960s and focused on a group of advanced robots based around six metal alloys (Gold, Iron, Lead, Tin, Platnum, and Mercury) and their creator the scientist Will Magnus. Barry Sonnenfeld was set to write and direct a live-action film, yet in 2021 it was confirmed that The Little Mermaid and Aladdin directors John Musker and Ron Clements were developing an animated film based on the property.

Currently, it is unknown if the animated Metal Men project is still in development as part of the newly connected DCU that Gunn and Peter Safran are developing, but the property feels like an ideal fit for Gunn’s sensibilities and helping shape the DCU. Metal Men as a project could either be a way for Affleck to try a different approach, by making a more lighthearted family comedy. Affleck could also make a darker more mature take on the material, crafting a character study on artificial intelligence. The obscurity of the characters would give Affleck more creative freedom than Superman or Batman.

Deathstroke

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Deathstroke is one of the most famous and prolific villains in the DC Universe. He has been a foe of the Teen Titans, Green Arrow, and Batman and has been adapted in a number of different formats including the animated series Teen Titans and the CW series Arrow. Affleck had intended Deathstroke to be the main villain for his Batman film and cast Joe Manganiello as the character. Deathstroke made a cameo in Justice League with the intention to appear in Affleck’s Batman movie, and Manganiello had wanted to make his own spin-off.

It is currently unclear if Deathstroke is a high-priority character for the new DCU. With the announcement of a new Superman movie and the cancelation of a Black Adam sequel, the studio might be moving away from anti-hero and villain films and want to build a strong foundation of heroes. Yet given Affleck’s history with the character Deathstroke, Warner Bros. may want to pair him with the character and get a mid-budget action film from one of their most high-profile directors.

Adam Strange

Adam Strange is a very different type of DC character, as he falls more in line with early pulp sci-fi heroes as opposed to traditional superheroes. Adam Strange’s story involves a human who is transported to an alien planet and must find a way home, while also falling in love with an alien woman.

There has been no announcement of any Adam Strange project at Warner Bros., which might be what makes him an ideal candidate for Affleck to direct. Affleck could play around in the science fiction genre and craft an entire world without needing to be concerned with the main superhero action of the DC Universe. This would be similar to James Gunn’s time at Marvel Studios and The Guardians of the Galaxy. Adam Strange might not be the most well-known DC hero, but that might make him the perfect project for Affleck.