Which DC Character Should Replace Ben Affleck's Batman in the DC Extended Universe?

In case you didn't hear, the DCEU is considering getting rid of Ben Affleck as their cinematic Batman. Now, the studio isn't avidly trying to get rid of him, but their partnership appears to be reaching its end, with Affleck's presumed to be last appearance in The Batman standalone.

News of Affleck departing from the DCEU was learned of last week, when a source at THR reported that Warner Brothers is looking to usher out Affleck's version of Batman. The claims have yet to be substantiated, but seem like a distinct possibility with a plethora of reasons being noted in the initial report, along with Affleck's age being commented on.

Should An Existing DC Character Take Over For Bruce Wayne As Batman?

In all fairness, Affleck is reaching his mid 40's, nearing an age where he'll be too old to believably portray Batman on the big screen. His character stick around as a supporting character, but Affleck's future as Batman appears to be nearing its end. So, unless Warner Brothers intends to make Ben Affleck their version of Flashpoint Batman, Thomas Wayne, he's going to be recast at some point. Whether it takes place in The Batman or a future DCEU movie, it's going to happen. Warner Brothers will then be left with a decision to make: do they drop Batman altogether, or replace him with another Batman-esque character? Hopefully, the studio decides on the latter, when there's such a wide variety of characters to choose from. If that does turn out to be the case, Warner Brothers should look into pushing one of these characters into the void left by Ben Affleck's departure from Batman.

Nightwing

One of the most obvious choices has to be Nightwing. A feature movie is already in the works, making it all the more reasonable to assume Dick Grayson could be in contention to take over for Bruce Wayne as Batman.

Now, Grayson could wind up taking on the Batman mantle or he could merely take Batman's place as the main hero of Gotham City. Either scenario is possible at the moment. But whatever the situation turns out to be, the #Nightwing movie all but says Dick Grayson / Nightwing has a future in the main DCEU story-line. If those claims holds true , the next logical place for Nightwing to show up would be in a plot involving Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), followed by the caped crusader handing over the keys to the Batmobile to a new Caped Crusader.

Robin

In the DC mythos, quite a few different versions of Robin have cropped up over the years. The most commonly known are Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Others that have reached similar popularity over the years are Carey Kelley and Tim Drake. In regards to which one would show up, is up for speculation. But with Jason Todd being confirmed dead in the DCEU, and Dick Grayson going by the Nightwing alias, any instance of Robin showing up on-screen would probably be a version of Tim Drake or Carey Kelley.

Actor, Jena Malone was rumored to be playing Kelley in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, so there are already hints toward a female Robin being possible. Unfortunately, the rumors never amounted to anything, which means either incarnation of Robin is feasible at the moment. Bear in mind that the most believable right now is Tim Drake, since Jason Todd and Dick Grayson are somewhat spoken for

Red Hood

Regardless of what's been said about Jason Todd in the DCEU, the hints at his character's origins seem to be foreshadowing an upcoming Red Hood arc. Proof of this can be found in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.

After images of Jason Todd's tombstone in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice leaked online, and the Robin memorial was plainly shown in the movie, proof of Todd's existence within the DCEU was all but confirmed. Producers and studio heads at Warner Brothers have attempted to explain away the mystery behind Jason Todd, but we shouldn't take their word for it, when the movie universe has potentially set up an ideal backdrop for Jason Todd to become Red Hood.

To recap the DCEU's story-line, Bruce Wayne's protege, Robin, was killed by the Joker and Harley Quinn—evidenced by Harley's criminal file in Suicide Squad. That particular Robin is never named, but the marked grave at the Wayne Estate in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice practically identifies the dead Robin as Jason Todd. Plus, the notion of a Nightwing movie in development means Dick Grayson is still alive and kicking, which eliminates him from being the dead Robin. So, unless Warner Brothers turned the timeline upside down and made Tim Drake the dead Robin of the DCEU, then it's most likely Jason Todd. If true, Todd is in the perfect position to make his return as the Red Hood.

Terry McGinnis / Batman Beyond

With the DCEU timeline moving forward quite fast, it wouldn't come as a surprise to hear of Terry McGinnis taking over as the new Batman. Affleck's version of Bruce Wayne is getting towards the age where he resembles the Bruce Wayne from the Batman Beyond story-line, so it's possible he'll hand the Batman mantle over to a worthy successor like Terry McGinnis.

In the Batman mythos, Terry McGinnis becomes the new Batman in the near distant future—in a time where Bruce Wayne has grown too old to suit up, and has essentially hired a brash renegade, McGinnis, to become his successor.

Who Should Replace Ben Affleck As Batman When He Exits The DCEU?

Aside from the characters mentioned above, there's a good chance that an existing character of the DCEU will simply take over the mantle of Batman when Bruce Wayne leaves the superhero game behind. Some fans have even theorized that Commissioner Gordon could be in contention to take over as Batman. Then again, it would probably be more appropriate for a younger character to replace the Dark Knight.

The Batman's release date is TBA.