Ben Affleck is already working on his own Batman flick

Los Angeles - Ben Affleck is set to write and direct a standalone Batman movie.

The 42-year-old Hollywood star - who recently announced he is to divorce his actress wife Jennifer Garner - will reportedly co-write the movie with Geoff Johns, DC Comics' chief creative officer.

The duo have already made considerable progress with the script and according to Deadline, they are likely to have finished it before the end of the summer.

The news comes shortly after Ben - who's set to star alongside Henry Cavill in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - likened the iconic comic book character to Shakespeare's Hamlet, in that it's possible to interpret Batman in numerous different ways.

What's more, he promised that his version of the character is at the "end of his run".

Ben said: "He's at the end of his run and maybe the end of his life. There's this sort of world-weariness to it.

"Batman is basically the American version of Hamlet. We accept that he's played by actors with different interpretations."

Ben will make his first on-screen appearance as Batman in the Zack Snyder-directed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which is released next year.

Watch the teaser trailer here: