Rumor: Ben Affleck's Batman Script Has Serious Problems

After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice slumped in theaters, fans were worried about Batman's future. The iconic DC Comics vigilante stands as one of the most recognizable heroes of all-time, but his debut in the blockbuster received mixed reviews. While fans enjoyed Ben Affleck's performance, critics were unhappy with the character's development. Affleck has promised to rectify those concerns with his standalone Batman flick, but it seems like the film may have hit a major roadblock. According to The Ringer, Affleck's script apparently has "serious problems."

The site published a recent expose on the state of Hollywood's film industry, and Affleck's Batman flick made a brief appearance in the essay. Having spoken to Bret Easton Ellis, the site said the author has heard from industry insiders that the film is a mess.

"I was having dinner with a couple of executives who know other executives who are working on the [forthcoming] Batman movie, The Batman," Ellis said. "And they were just telling me that there are serious problems with the script."

"The executives I was having dinner with were complaining about people who work on the Batman movie. And they just said they went to the studio and they said, 'Look, the script is … Here's 30 things that are wrong with it that we can fix.' And [the executives] said, 'We don't care. We don't really care. The amount of money we're going to make globally, I mean 70 percent of our audience is not going to be seeing this in English. And it doesn't really matter, these things that you're bringing up about the flaws of the script.' So I do think global concerns play a big part in how movies, and what movies, are being made, obviously."

Of course, this isn't the first time fans have heard that the Batman script is not up to snuff. Affleck himself admitted he was unsatisfied with the script earlier this summer. ComicBook.com was able to hear the actor speak about his Batman film during a Justice League set visit, and Affleck confirmed he had a script.

"We're still working on it and I'm not happy enough with it yet to actually go out there and make a Batman movie, which I would have the highest of standards I would say," he said. "It's something that would have to pass a very high bar for me. It's not like, 'Yeah, this might be fun. Let's go bang this out.'"

Recently, Affleck reiterated the fact that he wanted to be fully confident in his script before production on the solo Batman film began. The actor told IGN he is "in full-on, trying-to-get-it-right mode [for Batman]" and that the project is "not the kind of movie that you can fail quietly at."

All scripts go through their rough stages during revision, so there's little doubt that Affleck will treat the script with appropriate doctoring. After all, the actor is working with Geoff Johns, DC Entertainment's CCO, on the project. "I do get to say I'm working on Batman with Ben Affleck," Johns told ComicBook.com.

The concerning part of The Ringer's report is about the executives and their apparently apathy towards the script's issues. While none of Ellis' conversations have been confirmed off-the-record, the whispers are enough to make some fans nervous about Batman's live-action future.

The Batman solo feature isn't expected before 2018.

[H/T] The Ringer