Ever since – and even long before – Ben Affleck stepped down from the role of the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, fans have speculated that the film would be trading in for a younger model. Now it seems that the actor has actually corroborated that theory in a recent interview.

Thanks to an sit-down session with ET Canada, there is now incontrovertible proof that Warner Bros. and The Batman director Matt Reeves are looking to age Bruce Wayne down in the wake of Affleck’s departure, and everyone’s a little surprised that the confirmation came from the ex-Bat himself.

Though he was in the middle of promoting Triple Frontier, his latest action film which is coming out on Netflix, Ben Affleck and his costar Oscar Isaac took some time to answer questions about their respective franchises. As Affleck is currently still signed on as a producer for the Dark Knight’s next movie, he could speak to some of its circumstances – one being that it would be more of an origin story for Gotham’s favorite vigilante.

Okay, probably not that much younger.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Affleck assured ET Canada. “They’ve got a great director.” While he was loathe to give away more than necessary, he did specifically point out that “they’re doing a young version, a more starting-out version with a younger guy.”

Isaac joined in on the fun by suggesting that the younger version of Bruce Wayne should still have a beard, but Affleck would neither confirm nor deny. He merely added, “I’m sure it’ll be great.”

Granted, knowing that the next Batman will be more of a beginner doesn’t necessarily tell us anything else about the direction of the story. It could be a prequel of sorts, or it could throw the extended universe out the window the way it seems that Warner Bros. is hoping to do. Either way, at least we know to aim for more fresh-faced fancasts in the meantime.

Are you excited for The Batman? Who would be your ideal Bruce and why? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to check That Hashtag Show for all the latest news on your favorite films.