Ben Affleck is the new Batman

Ben Affleck will replace Christian Bale as Batman in the highly anticipated Batman-Superman movie that's scheduled to be released on July 17, 2015.

Warner Bros. made the announcement on Thursday.

Affleck, 41, will star opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in the as-yet-untitled film, which was unveiled in July at Comic-Con. It's a sequel to this summer's Man of Steel, a re-imagining of the superhero's origin story that also starred Cavill and has pulled in more than $650 million worldwide since its June release, according to The Wrap.

Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will reprise their Man of Steel roles in the sequel, which is expected to begin production in 2014.

"Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry's Superman," director Zack Snyder said in a 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 retains the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can't wait to work with him."

Affleck, who recently starred in and directed 2012 best-picture winner Argo, has previous experience in those superhero tights -- he played Marvel Comics' Daredevil in the 2003 film of the same name and starred as troubled 1950s Superman actor George Reeves in 2006's Hollywoodland.