Ben Affleck announces he will not direct "The Batman"

On one level, this change is understandable. It's a big movie, and no one has ever accepted the burden of both starring-in and directing a big budget super hero blockbuster.

Taken in the context of the last few DC films, this seems like a harbinger of another impending failure.

I think there's a strong chance this movie will not be made, and that after Justice League 2 Affleck will be out of the DC universe. He came into the franchise when there was still potential for it to be respectable, and now it is a dumpster fire. If I were him I'd want no part of it.

His Batman didnt bother me...

Holy Toledo Batman the DCEU is a clusterfuck.

It's obvious someone at WB is fucking with Batfleck and his script to the point where's he's like "fuck it I'm out".

The pressure now on WW to perform critically and financially is at an all time high. If this movie fails to impress then not even JL can save the DCEU imo. Too many mediocre films to kick start a shared universe = pull the plug reboot in 10+ years.

I'm glad they are calling it "THE Batman," otherwise I might get confused...

I think speculation about a reboot is wishful thinking. I expect a Transformers-style cash grab for the DC universe before a creative reset. As long as Warner thinks they can realize some type of profit from the movies, they'll stick to the plan regardless of the quality of the end product.