Matt Reeves' 'The Batman' to release in June 2021, Ben Affleck not to return

Los Angeles: Matt Reeves' "The Batman" will hit the screens on June 25, 2021, Warner Bros has announced and as expected for some time, Ben Affleck will not don the costume of the Caped Crusader.

According to Variety, Reeves is writing and directing the movie. He will also choose the next Bruce Wayne.

The director will also serve as producer with his "Planet of the Apes" producer Dylan Clark.

It was in January 2017 that Reeves was first tasked with taking over directing duties from Affleck and has been developing the film since then. 

Post "Justice League", Affleck and the studio entered into discussions of the actor leaving the franchise and allowing Reeves to pick his Batman.

According to sources, the studio is happy with early versions of Reeves' draft and he had been spending the past couple of months giving final touches before he began meeting actors for the part.

No plot details have been revealed.

Warner Bros slate for the upcoming year has a re-launch film in "The Suicide Squad", which James Gunn is in talks to direct, releasing on August 6, 2021.

While Robert Zemeckis' "The Witches" is set to open on October 16, 2020, Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep" bows November 8 this year.