Ben Affleck’s Cut Batman Cameo In Aquaman Revealed Almost 5 Years Later

Five years after Warner Bros. released Aquaman in theaters, new DC Extended Universe (DCEU) concept art reveals a planned cameo for Ben Affleck’s Batman. Although Superman was the hero who inaugurated the DCEU, it will be Aquaman who closes this franchise later this year. The las movie of the old universe will be Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The December film was initially planned to feature a cameo from Affleck’s Batman. However, according to recent reports, this idea was scrapped. It seems that Warner Bros. considered including Batman in the Aquaman sequel story.

Concept Art Reveals Ben Affleck’s Batman Cameo Potential in Aquaman Original Movie

Ed Natividad just shared a new concept art. He is an artist who worked as a concept vehicle designer on Aquaman and as a concept artist on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The design shows that Affleck’s Batman was scheduled to appear alongside the League of Legends. DCEU Justice during the battle against Ocean Master. In an earlier draft of Aquaman, Ocean Master and the Three Kingdoms would have had a showdown in a city, as illustrated below:

Ed Natividad

However, removing the Justice League from Aquaman was a wise decision. This film marked Arthur Curry’s first solo film after Warner Bros. worked for years to bring it to the big screen. Including other superheroes in Aquaman would have diverted attention from the central story of Arthur and Ocean Master.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that Warner Bros. released Aquaman after Justice League in 2017. This was a controversial film in the DCEU timeline. Not only was it a box office flop, but Joss Whedon’s version of Justice League, which replaced Zack Snyder, sparked controversy. Therefore, including the Justice League in Aquaman soon after these troubling events would have been a risk that Warner Bros. did not want to take.

Ironically, after the Aquaman attempt, DC also considered an Affleck Batman cameo in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, WB ultimately scrapped the idea. Yet, the circumstances are different in this case since the sequel to Aquaman will hit the theaters immediately after The Flash. The Scarlet Speedster movie left the fate of Affleck’s Batman in the air. Therefore, a later appearance in the DCEU could cause confusion among the public. Hopefully, the lessons learned from the struggles that previous DCEU films faced won’t impact James Gunn’s DC Universe. This new movie era will begin in 2024 with Creature Commandos.

Featured Image Via Warner Bros.