Warner Bros. has officially dated Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” for June 25, 2021.
The studio has also dated a rebooted “The Suicide Squad” for Aug. 6, 2021, Robert Zemeckis’ “The Witches” for Oct. 16, 2020, and Stephen King’s “Doctor Sleep” for Nov. 8, 2019.
Ben Affleck will not be returning to play the Caped Crusader, which had been expected for some time, as Reeves will be handpicking the next Bruce Wayne.
Reeves is writing and directing the pic.
Reeves was first tasked with taking over directing duties from Affleck in January 2017 and has been developing the film ever since. Following the “Justice League” movie, Affleck and the studio began discussing the actor leaving the series and allowing Reeves to pick his own Batman.
Reeves will also be producing with his “Planet of the Apes” producer Dylan Clark.
Sources tell Variety that studio execs have been very happy with early versions of Reeves’ draft and that he had been spending the past couple of months giving a final polish before he began meeting actors for the part.
No details have been revealed, including how old Bruce Wayne will be in the movie. Some believe Reeves wants someone younger, in their mid-20s, while others believe the studio wants someone a little older to play the part. Most insiders stress, however, that until the director begins meetings, no final decision will be made on that front.
Deadline Hollywood first broke the news on “The Batman” release date.