Warner Bros. announced yesterday that Matt Reeves had signed on to direct The Batman, despite rumors circling last week that negotiations between the director and studio had broken down. There had also been rumors that Ben Affleck himself was trying to get out of starring as the title character, reprising his role from Batman v Superman and Justice League. But apparently that isn't the case either. Shortly after the filmmaker was confirmed to direct, Ben Affleck welcomed Matt Reeves to "the Batcave" on social media.

Last night, just hours after Matt Reeves was confirmed as the new director of The Batman, Ben Affleck took to Twitter to welcome the new filmmaker, posting a photo of The Batcave from Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Matt Reeves also responded, thanking the actor for this warm welcome, adding that he's "so excited" to work on this project. While Ben Affleck's tweet may just be a simple gesture, it likely debunks the rumors that he wants "out" of the franchise.

Last week, a rumor circulated that Ben Affleck is trying to find a way to get out of starring in The Batman. The news came from Collider Movie Talk host John Campea, who reportedly spoke with three separate sources who claimed the actor was trying to find a way out of his contract with Warner Bros., and that even if he couldn't find a way out of the contract, his last movie as Batman would likely be this stand-alone movie. Of course, it's possible that Ben Affleck couldn't find a way to get out of his contract, but this gesture on social media at the very least hints that he will be starring in The Batman.

Ben Affleck stated in December that The Batman was on track for a spring 2017 production start, but with a new director on board, and the possibility emerging that Ben Affleck may be trying to get out of this iconic role, we may not see this film hit theaters for quite some time. There were reports that the studio is eyeing a spring 2018 release date, but unless these issues are solved, and production comes together quickly, that seems quite unlikely. With a director now officially on board, it's possible that The Batman will head into production very soon.

As of now, Warner Bros. hasn't issued an official release date for The Batman, but there had been talk that it could take the October 5, 2018 date that Warner Bros. had set aside for an unspecified DC project. However, the studio recently moved Aquaman to the October 5, 2018 date, so it's unclear when The Batman may hit theaters. While we wait for more on The Batman, take a look at the tweets from Ben Affleck and Matt Reeves below.