There’s an air of uncertainty surrounding Warner Brothers’ upcoming solo Batman movie, which was — once upon a time — to be written and directed by Ben Affleck, who would also star as the titular Dark Knight.
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In the fallout of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — Affleck’s debut outing as the character — the “Sad Affleck,” or “Sadfleck” meme, was born in light of the film’s weak critical response. Despite word that Warner Bros. would be lightening up the universe moving forward as result of the tepid response to the superhero blockbuster, rumors began to surface that Affleck would be out of the DC Cinematic Universe altogether following the contractually obligated Justice League, casting a shadow of doubt on Affleck’s future as the caped crusader.
Affleck seemed to have laid the speculation to rest during San Diego Comic Con, where he reaffirmed his interest in the role, dropping the mic as he confirmed his commitment to The Batman, which will be directed by War for the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Matt Reeves.
“Batman is the coolest f*cking part in any universe – DC, Marvel – it’s incredible, and I’m so thrilled to do it,” Affleck said during the Warner Bros. Comic Con panel. “I know there’s this misconception that because I didn’t direct it I wasn’t enthusiastic about it; it’s f*cking amazing… and with Matt Reeves doing it, it’s like I’d be a f*cking ape on the ground for Matt Reeves – never mind being Batman! It’s incredible! So I’m really blown away and excited and it’s a great time in the DC Universe. You’re going to see some stuff from Justice League that we’re really really proud of, and I’ll think you’ll see why I’m really excited to be Batman.”
Reeves addressed the rumors himself, confirming Affleck will be donning the cowl for the movie — and despite the sudden news that DC will be establishing a separate, independent banner of standalone films that will operate separately of the shared cinematic universe, Reeves said “of course” his film will very much be part of the wider DC Cinematic Universe that is home to Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill’s Superman and the rest of the Justice League.
With Reeves saying that he’ll be moving away from the script originally penned by Affleck and Geoff Johns, fans speculated if “starting again” applied to all aspects of the production — including its leading man.
Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
Despite Affleck reaffirming his commitment to the role in a very public way, some still wonder if Affleck will ever really suit up again as Batman following Justice League, which will give the star top billing and an executive producer credit. With Warner Bros. launching a new banner of standalone DC movies — movies that will “expand the canon of DC properties and create unique storylines with different actors playing the iconic characters” — Affleck suddenly has an out, if he ever truly wishes to be sent off from the DC Cinematic Universe.
Of course, the role could just be recast after Justice League in the event of an Affleck departure — after all, audiences are familiar with the idea of a different actor playing the same Batman: Michael Keaton starred in Batman and Batman Returns, with Val Kilmer taking over for Batman Forever. Kilmer was then replaced by George Clooney, with all three actors’ Bruce Wayne / Batman having shared the same continuity and experiences. Christian Bale next donned the cowl for Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, a reboot separated from the past iteration of films, with Affleck’s Batman operating in its own universe that was launched with 2013’s Man of Steel.
Those pesky rumors from earlier this summer said Warner Bros. would “gracefully” usher out Affleck’s Batman, which could mean very different things: would Affleck go, but Batman remain? Or would Affleck’s departure lead to the retirement — or maybe the death of — this older, weathered superhero, leaving the DCEU without a Batman?
Batman Forever
But with out-of-universe movies on the table, Warner Bros. could never go without a Batman — whether or not Affleck’s future with the DCEU is limited to a handful of films or lasts a decade like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man run.
The studio is already developing a standalone Joker origin movie, which will feature an actor who isn’t Jared Leto; with Batman being the moneymaker that he is, it’s expected Warner Bros. will explore other, non-Affleck iterations of the character.
With a Flashpoint movie in the works, there very well could be a Thomas Wayne Batman movie. Or a live-action Gotham by Gaslight, which told the tale of a steampunk Batman who operated in 1889 and sought out Jack the Ripper. Batman has been a vampire, a pirate, a knight, a samurai, a Green Lantern, an actual Bat-Man, and Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s son who had more violent — and supernatural — means of protecting Gotham.
The possibilities are endless, and could even lead to the realization of a project fans have long hoped for…
Batman Beyond
With Warner Bros. launching a banner that will focus on films operating outside of the DC Cinematic Universe, the studio could soon launch a Batman Beyond franchise — whether or not it’s part of the current DCEU or runs concurrently as its own thing. Maybe Michael Keaton could be enlisted as the grizzled Bruce Wayne who retired from super heroics in disgrace.
He could be the future version of his Tim Burton Batman, or he could not be, playing an iteration of Batman completely separate from the Bat he was in 1989 and 1992. That’s the beauty of these potential standalone movies: they don’t have to be bound by any sense of continuity, past or present, and operating out of a universe where everything isn’t connected lends filmmakers and Warner Bros. the opportunity to tell stories they otherwise could never tell.
For now, Ben Affleck is the Batman — and whether or not he exercises the option of an exit strategy remains to be seen. Affleck next stars alongside Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher in Justice League, out November 17.
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