Ben Affleck at the premiere for He’s Just Not That Into You. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ben Affleck will join Henry Cavill in Warner Bros.’ Man of Steel sequel, the studio announced on Thursday.

The project was announced at Comic-Con earlier this year, prompting much speculation surrounding who would play the Caped Crusader. Zack Snyder is back in the director’s chair for the project, which places Batman and Superman together on the big screen for the first time.

The film is slated to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.

The announcement comes a decade after Affleck’s largely disappointing Daredevil, the 20th Century Fox pic based on the Marvel character. Released in 2003, the film grossed $180 million worldwide on a budget of about $80 million.

In 2006, Affleck played George Reeves — who starred in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman — in Hollywoodland.

Man of Steel has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date.

“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. His outstanding career is a testament to his talent, and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character,” said Greg Silverman, Warner Bros.’ president of creative development and worldwide production.

Read More Ben Affleck Is Batman for ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel – The Hollywood Reporter.