Ben Affleck will write, star, and direct the standalone Batman film

Last month it was rumored that Ben Affleck would be directing the next Batman movie – it turns out that rumors were true. Ben Affleck will not only be the Batman, but he will write and direct the standalone film. Geoff Johns, the Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics will be co-writing alognside Affleck, which should keep the film grounded.

Johns is a notable writer, having  Green Lantern, Aquaman, Batman, Justice League, The Flashand Superman comics attached to his name, alongside the TV shows Smallville, Arrow and The Flash.

Deadline's studio sources revealed the Affleck and Johns are 'well in synch.' Affleck will not jump directly from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to the next Batman film. The actor/director/writer will first direct Live by Night, then move onto the film. It is being suggest that the standalone Batman film will feature post-Batman v Superman and post-Justice League Batman. The Justice League is set to release in November 2017, so don't expect the stand-alone Batman film anytime soon.

With the Justice League arriving in theaters late in 2017, we can suppose that the standalone Batman film will release late 2018.