Ben Affleck explains why he stepped away from Batman role: 'Couldn't crack it'

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Fans furious that Ben Affleck is Batman

Ben Affleck as the next Batman? Fans of the franchise just don’t see it.

After announcing that he’s hanging up his cowl for good, Ben Affleck said farewell to his role as Batman in the DC Comics and Warner Bros. film franchise and gave a brief explanation as to why he’s stepping away now.

As previously reported, Affleck will be passing the torch on to a new actor for the planned 2021 “Batman” standalone film. While rumors indicate the film will be looking for a younger man to play a past version of Bruce Wayne, Affleck appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to address his exit.

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“I tried to direct a version of [Batman], [I] worked with a really good screenwriter, but kinda just couldn't come up with a version. Couldn't crack it. I thought it was time for someone else to take a shot at it. And they've got some really good people," Affleck told the host.

To lighten the mood after Affleck’s admission, Kimmel had his assistant, dressed in 1960s Robin attire, bring out Affleck’s cowl and cape in order to hang it in his studio’s rafters as a retirement.

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The “Triple Frontier” star played the caped crusader in two of DC’s films, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” Both films were maligned by critics at the time of their release. Affleck was also attached at one point to direct the standalone film featuring his version of Bruce Wayne, but previously dropped out and passed the project on to director Matt Reeves.

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“It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale. It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional,” Reeves told The Hollywood Reporter.