Movies

Matt Reeves' 'The Batman' Arrives In 2021 Without Ben Affleck, 'Suicide Squad 2' And 'DC Super Pets' Coming Too

Matt Reeves The Batman Release Date
By Ethan Anderton/

After today's updates about Matt Reeves' gestating new Batman movie, Warner Bros. has staked out a 2021 release date for the sequel. Even bigger news is that Ben Affleck will not be returning as The Caped Crusader, and the movie will instead focus on a younger Bruce Wayne.

That's not the only Warner Bros. Pictures release date news, because the studio has also set the Suicide Squad sequel for release in 2021, as well as a DC Super Pets movie. And outside of the comic book realm, The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep has been moved up to release in the fall of 2019 instead of early 2020.

Deadline broke news of The Batman staking out a June 25, 2021 release date. That's also where news of Ben Affleck being counted out of the role surfaced. That's a prime summer release date, and that means production will likely be starting sometime later this year.

Of course, Affleck himself will seemingly never admit that he's leaving the role, as this vague tweet suggests:

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter has word on the two other DC Comics projects slated for 2021. There's The Suicide Squad arriving later in the summer on August 6, 2021, but before both that and The Batman, we'll be getting DC Super Pets on May 21, 2021.

Looking at the Suicide Squad sequel, yes that's the title being given to the project: The Suicide Squad. That would seem to corroborate the idea that this is more of a soft reboot of the property. James Gunn was said to be writing the script and now he's been confirmed to direct the film as well.

As for the DC Super Pets movie, this isn't the first we've heard of the project. Last August brought news of the animated film heading into development. Following last year's moderately successful arrival of Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, Warner Bros. is probably keen on family friendly fare to go alongside their more adult offerings.

Stepping away from comics and into the world of suspense, Stephen King fans will be glad to hear Doctor Sleep will arrive on November 8, 2019. That's much earlier than the initial January 2020 release date the studio initially set. Does that mean they think the movie has some awards potential? At the very least they have some serious confidence in the movie to give it that release date.

And finally, the remake of The Witches starring Anne Hathaway has been set for October 16, 2020, just in time for Halloween. Robert Zemeckis is directing this time, and he co-wrote the script with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Surely more cast members will be announced soon since the project goes into production sometime this year.

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