After years of criticism for the film he starred in as Matt Murdock, Ben Affleck’s Daredevil is given an unceremonious ending in Deadpool & Wolfverine.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe movie Deadpool & Wolverine has delivered another kick to Ben Affleck’s Daredevil. While for a time it was rumored that the Justice League star would cameo in Shawn Levy’s MCU film, the movie’s release confirmed this was not the case. The ending of Deadpool & Wolverine saw the titular two heroes return to Earth-10005, having left a trail of violence and death behind them. While there were many Deadpool easter eggs and references in the movie, perhaps one of the most significant in it explained why Affleck’s Daredevil was absent from the film.

Ben Affleck was the second actor to play The Man Without Fear, following Rex Smith in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. While the billy-club baton has since been passed to Charlie Cox in the MCU timeline, it is notable that Affleck didn’t receive many of the opportunities he arguably deserved when it came to his time as Matt Murdock. Deadpool & Wolverine was in a prime place to potentially allow for Affleck to return to the role and provide some catharsis for this iteration of the character – however, the way the character’s story was addressed prevented this from being possible.

Ben Affleck’s Daredevil Is Confirmed To Have Died In Deadpool & Wolverine

Several Marvel Characters Including Punisher And Magneto Are Confirmed To Be Dead

Inside the Void, Deadpool and Wolverine are told that Daredevil is among the heroes who have died there. Going to face Cassandra Nova, Logan and Wade align with Elektra, Blade, and Gambit. These three heroes of the past have been stuck in the Void for some time, and during a conversation about their history, it is revealed that their party used to be bigger. In fighting against this threat, they detail how they have lost Quicksilver, Punisher, Magneto, and Daredevil.

Based on the context, the Daredevil in discussion is clearly the one who is linked to Jennifer Garner’s Elektra. The two heroes shared a romance in the 2003 film, where Elektra was killed and then brought back to life in a closing tease. This simple, throwaway line is about all of the detail that is given about the loss of the hero, which is disappointing. Since a cameo for Ben Affleck in Deadpool & Wolverine was rumored, this being the only mention of the character’s fate feels all the more unfortunate.

Affleck’s Potential Last Daredevil Moment Is A Joke About His Real-Life Divorce

Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner Met On The Set Of Daredevil

Ben Affleck has had a life in the tabloids ever since he rose to prominence in Good Will Hunting. The actor dated multiple co-stars, and many of these relationships were very high profile. One of the most notable of Affleck’s relationships was with Jennifer Garner, who played Elektra in the Daredevil film. The two met during the filming of Daredevil and pursued a romance shortly after. They had children and were together for many years before ultimately splitting up in 2015 and divorcing in 2018.

While it does not appear that there is bad blood about this divorce in real life, the film’s Daredevil reference appears to make a joke regarding the topic at Affleck’s expense. Upon learning Daredevil is dead, Deadpool offers Elektra his condolences, who seems nonplussed, shrugging and stating it’s fine. This apathy seems to be a joke about the character’s actors getting divorced, which while in line with Deadpool‘s general comedic stylings, does make Daredevil’s absence seem even more notable.

Ben Affleck’s Daredevil Is One Of The Most Unlucky Heroes In On-Screen History

The Actor’s Superhero Films Have Been Less Well Received Than Affleck’s Performances Deserve

When Mark Steven Johnson’s Daredevil was released in 2003, it was not an enormous success. The film ultimately was profitable, grossing $179.1 million against a $78 million budget, but critical and audience reception was quite mixed.Daredevil has many strengths, including a great cast that featured Colin Farrell, Jon Favreau, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan alongside the two leads, but ultimately went through several development changes – including switching from an R-rating to a PG-13 rating – that led to a mixed bag of a film.

Ben Affleck has spoken about not having a good time making Daredevil – outright stating in a 2007 interview with Entertainment Weekly that “Daredevil didn’t work at all”. After this release, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra got her own movie in 2005. The film was a critical and commercial flop and seemed set to feature a cameo by Affleck as Daredevil due to their obvious ties. Unfortunately, due to reported concerns about relationship drama between the stars, Affleck was cut from the story, and the movie then fared poorly enough to crush any hopes for a Daredevil sequel.

At this point, it seems unlikely that Ben Affleck will return to superhero films. Following the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, his Daredevil iteration is clearly dead. With a new DCU launching, it seems the actor will not play Batman again. While Affleck is an outstanding performer, he seems to be focused now on making films he is more directly in control of, such as Air. The Deadpool & Wolverine ending may not give the actor the closure that he deserves, but it seems to be the best that he will be able to get at this time.