The internet outrage machine was on full blast when it was announced Ben Affleck would be suiting up as the Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It turned out that outrage was misplaced, as “Batfleck” turned out to be the best part of the uneven, plodding blockbuster. Now, Warner Bros. has announced what’s been in the rumor mill for months: Affleck will direct and star in a Batman solo film.
As the Hollywood Reporter reports, Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara announced the news at CinemaCon when discussing Batman v Superman.
“It set up a great foundation for our DC slate, which includes at least 10 movies through 2020,” Tsuijhara said. “I’m also excited to know that we will be working with Ben Affleck on a stand-alone Batman movie.”
Affleck previously said in an interview he was working on a project with DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, which many correctly assumed was a solo Batman film. He’s said he’s pumped for the project and is excited to get to work on the upcoming Justice League: Part 1.
“‘It’s been tremendously exciting for us to be a part of the DC Universe, and we’re looking forward to working on Justice League,’ Affleck said following the announcement.”
The announcement is pretty sweet if you’re a DC fan or a fan of movies in general. For all the shit Affleck received in his post-2000 career for starring in flops like Daredevil and Gigli, he’s really found a calling as a director. His three features The Town, Gone Baby Gone, and Best Picture winner Argo were all great, tense movies. There’s little doubt he can create the same kind of vibe in a Batman film.
Affleck is a longtime Batman fan (as friend Kevin Smith frequently mentions on his Fatman on Batman podcast) and he’ll get a legitimate chance to bring new life to the character, who was last seen in a solo movie in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. It appears Warner Brothers is giving Affleck creative freedom. He’s supposedly already written a script, according to the report, and will likely have a hand in the film’s story, although that’s not been officially confirmed.
The big question is which comic book story will Affleck base his Batman solo film from? There’s plenty of material to adapt which hasn’t been done on the big screen.
Given Robin’s supposed death in Batman v Superman, it would be rad to see an adaptation of Judd Winick’s Under the Red Hood. The storyline features the surprise return of former Robin Jason Todd as a masked vigilante who feels he’s been wronged by those in Gotham. That story would tie-in nicely to Batman v Superman and would explore a part of the Batman universe largely untouched by previous Batman standalone installments.
Another potential storyline could be Jim Starlin’s Batman: A Death in the Family which tells the story of Jason Todd’s death at the hands of The Joker — although that might be fleshed out in the upcoming Suicide Squad.
Regardless, whatever Affleck decides to do, there’s plenty of material for him to lean on in the DC Comic archives.
The announcement also answers the question of what one of the two unknown films on DC’s upcoming slate might be. It’s not surprising Warner Brothers is going all-in on setting up Batman as it’s main Superhero property, given the past success of the Christopher Nolan trilogy and how popular the character still is. It’s a brilliant play. DC cinematic universe architect Zach Snyder fumbled badly in his characterization of Superman, who would be the other obvious choice to lead the DCU.
All-in-all this is wonderful news. Warner Bros. hired a brilliant director who also happens to be Batman.
No release date has been announced.
