Ben Affleck will officially be the new Batman.

Warner Bros. made it official with a statement late Thursday night announcing that Affleck would be playing Batman/Bruce Wayne in Man of Steel 2. He will be the first actor to portray Batman in a live action film since Christian Bale in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises.

The Argo actor/director will be facing off against Superman (Henry Cavill) in the Man of Steel sequel, which is tentatively being called Batman vs. Superman.

"Ben provides an interesting counterbalance to Henry's Superman," said director Zack Snyder in the Warner Bros. statement. "He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can't wait to work with him."

Actors Who Played Batman Before Ben Affleck [PHOTOS]

Ever since the announcement at Comic-Con in late July that the film would feature Batman, rumors have been flying about who would play the iconic superhero. Actors like Orlando Bloom, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling were just some of the names thrown around, but Affleck was not mentioned as much.

Man of Steel 2 News & Rumors: Title Speculation Includes World's Finest & Public Enemies

"We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics' most enduringly popular superheroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some," said Greg Silverman, Warner Bros. creative development president in the statement.

Joining Affleck and Cavill in Man of Steel 2 will be Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diane Lane as Martha Kent. Warner Bros. confirmed in the statement that all three of these actors would be reprising their roles from Man of Steel.

Man of Steel 2 Villain Rumors: The Joker or Harley Quinn to Appear in 2015 Film?

Man of Steel 2 is scheduled to begin production in early 2014 with a release date of July 17, 2015.

Tags: Man of Steel 2 Batman vs. Superman Ben Affleck