Ben Affleck is the new Batman

Warner Bros has shocked the film community by casting Ben Affleck as the new Batman.

He will face off against Henry Cavill in the studio’s July 2015 release (still untitled, but likely to be called Batman vs. Superman).

Zack Snyder will direct from a script by David S. Goyer.

Affleck’s career seemed all but over in the mid-2000s, following a string of high-profile flops (including, significantly, superhero flick Daredevil).

His fortunes changed once he turned to directing, first helming the acclaimed thriller Gone Baby Gone, and then giving himself starring roles in hits The Town and Argo.

Earlier this year, the industry officially welcomed him back to the fold by awarding Argo the Academy Award for Best Picture (though he was snubbed in the Best Director category).

Affleck’s casting as the new Batman indicates that he’s now, once again, considered a profitable entity on screen.

He takes over from Christian Bale, who portrayed the masked vigilante in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Rumours flooded the internet last week that WB had offered Christian Bale more than $60 million to reprise his role. Though I have no doubt Bale was asked at some point by WB to return, the proximity of that news to the Affleck announcement suggests it was a well-placed misdirection to keep his casting from leaking.

Previous actors to play Batman on celluloid include Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney.