Zack Snyder Shares New Knightmare Photo of Ben Affleck’s Batman: “Hope Is Almost Extinct”
Zack Snyder has shared another cool black-and-white image of Ben Affleck as Batman from the Knightmare timeline featured in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
The photo, which had never been seen before, is obviously going to reignite conversations around Snyder’s darker vision for the DC universe and the grim future teased in his director’s cut.
The image shows Affleck’s Bruce Wayne in the wasteland version of Earth, a future where everything has gone wrong. Snyder paired the photo with a detailed caption that lays out the stakes of that broken timeline in full:
"Bruce Wayne, on the run in a broken future—hunted by Parademons and you know who. A world lost. A last gamble. One chance to send Flash back and reset everything. From Zack Snyder’s Justice League—the nightmare timeline where hope is almost extinct.”
This version of Batman briefly appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, alongside Deathstroke, Cyborg, and The Joker. Joe Manganiello, Ray Fisher, and Jared Leto all shared the screen in a moment that felt like the beginning of something much bigger. That storyline was meant to continue in sequels that never came together once Snyder exited the franchise.
Fans who rallied behind the #RestoreTheSnyderVerse movement have taken Snyder’s recent wave of Instagram posts as more than just nostalgia. While there’s no real indication that a return is comming, the filmmaker clearly knows the reaction these images spark.
Snyder just seems to be enjoying revisiting work he’s proud of and giving fans a closer look at ideas that never fully saw the light of day.
There has been communication between Snyder and James Gunn since DC began its transition into the DCU, but expectations should stay grounded. Gunn and Peter Safran are focused on moving forward.
Snyder himself hasn’t ruled anything out, as long as the approach feels right, saying: “You know, I’m a pretty open book. I really feel like, you know, if the characters are treated with reverence, and mythologically correct, then I’m down. I’m in.
“Let’s see what happens. I’m pretty excited. I mean, we’re going to get Superman pretty soon, so we’ll see what that’s like.”
Gunn later confirmed the two have remained in touch, responding to a fan on Threads after being asked about Snyder’s comments. “I didn’t, but I knew it already because he’s texted me. He’s been incredibly supportive throughout this process."
Affleck has also been candid about his time under the cowl and the creative direction behind his Batman. Reflecting on his experience, he shared a thoughtful and honest take on what worked and what didn’t.
"I had a really good time. I loved doing the Batman movie. I loved Batman v Superman," Affleck said during a recent interview when asked about his experience playing Batman. "And I liked my brief stints on The Flash that I did and when I got to work with Viola Davis on Suicide Squad for a day or two.”
"In terms of creatively, I really think that I like the idea and the ambition that I had for it, which was of the sort of older, broken, damaged Bruce Wayne. And it was something we really went for in the first movie. What happened was it started to skew too old for a big part of the audience. Like even my own son at the time was too scared to watch the movie. And so when I saw that I was like, 'Oh shit, we have a problem.'
"Then I think that’s when you had a filmmaker that wanted to continue down that road and a studio that wanted to recapture all the younger audience at cross purposes."
This newly revealed Knightmare image serves as a reminder of a version of Batman that left a lasting impression. For fans who connected with Snyder’s darker, mythic take, it’s another haunting glimpse into a world where hope was hanging by a thread.