Ben Affleck Out; The Wachowski's To Direct "Justice League"

The Argo director moves aside so Justice League can enter The Matrix.

Earlier this month, we reported that Warner Bros. had Ben Affleck at the top of its list for their big superhero extravaganza, Justice League, but apparently the actor-director wasn't actually interested.

"I'm not working on the 'Justice League,'" Affleck told the Canadian outlet 24 Hours last week. "One of the problems with entertainment web sites is that they need to fill pages, and that's how rumors get started. 'Justice League' sounds really exciting, but it's not something I'm working on." That should be refreshing news to those who still have the taste of Daredevil still swirling around on the brain. Warner Bros. plan is to mimic the success of Marvel's The Avengers by interweaving the stories of Superman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman into one property.

A huge problem most people see with that rationale is that Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, which starred Christian Bale as Batman, recently ended the franchise. With many declaring the three films as the definitive tale of the Bat, will Warner Bros. risk alienating fans by not asking Bale to reprise his role? Equally interesting is the fact that Nolan and his brother Jonathan are behind the Zack Snyder-directed Man Of Steel, which will see the return of Superman (again) on the big screen. Yet, Nolan already took himself out of the running in July to helm Justice League.

With Affleck out of the running, Warner Bros. hopes that Andy and Lana Wachowski, the directing team behind The Matrix trilogy and Speed Racer, will step up to direct Justice League.

No word has come from either person as to whether or not they're interested. However, what is clear is that The Wachowskis are preparing their project, Jupiter Ascending, with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis in lead roles.

Props: JoBlo