5 Batman v Superman Mistakes Ben Affleck's Batman Movie Must Correct

As Ben Affleck has been out making the press rounds to promote his new film Live By Night, he has inevitably been asked question after question about his upcoming role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in both Zack Snyder’s Justice League and the upcoming Batman solo movie reboot, which Affleck will co-write and direct in addition to starring.

Videos by ComicBook.com

One topic of discussion Affleck has had to confront in recent months is the divisive reaction to his big 2016 tentpole, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. As Affleck moves ahead to direct his own big movie in the DC Extended Universe, there are some negative aspects of Batman v Superman that he has a chance to correct.

Here are 5 Batman v Superman Mistakes Ben Affleck’s The Batman Must Correct.

Batman’s Backstory

Batman v Superman relied on fans to know a lot about the Batman mythology, mostly giving us Affleck’s Batman/Bruce Wayne in inferences and small sketches. It was enough to get behind the character in Batman v Superman, but it also left viewers feeling like this different, more brutal, version of Batman was somewhat unjustified.

How to Fix: Affleck’s Batman movie will be the first time we really get to delve deeper into this version of Batman. It’s time to stop dropping hints, and start filling in gaps that explain how we met a Batman in BvS who:

Has been operating for so long, solo.
Seen Wayne Manor destroyed.
Seems estranged from former allies like Gordon and Robin.
Has such violent history with The Joker.
Lost a former partner in the line of duty (Jason Todd’s Robin).

Batman’s Secrets

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice did a poor job of showing off the prowess of “The World’s Greatest Detective” when it came to one specific area: keeping his secret identity a secret.

How to Fix: Since everyone and their mother (read: Amanda Waller) seems to keep learning Bruce Wayne’s secret, maybe Affleck can actually deliver a Batman story where that secret has stakes once again; and maybe, just maybe, Batman actually makes it out of the movie with one or two people not knowing who he is under the cowl.

Detective Skills

Batman v Superman was actually a three-part mystery/investigation story, with Batman, Superman, and Lois Lane all searching for what turned out to be the nefarious scheming of Lex Luthor. However, most Batman fans would probably say we still haven’t gotten a proper showcase of what makes Batman “The World’s Greatest Detective.” It doesn’t help that in BvS, Batman is outmaneuvered and exposed to the two other major players in the story (Superman and Lex), and Wonder Woman, as well.

How to Fix: The Batman offers Affleck to the ability to better show off Batman’s cunning, resourcefulness, and meticulous skill as a detective. Hopefully, the storyline is approached as the sort of gritty urban Noir film that Affleck has gained acclaim for making (The Town, Gone Baby Gone).

Batman Action

Batman v Superman has the best Batman action sequence of all time (warehouse fight) – but other than that, fans were a bit underwhelmed with the movie’s Batman sequences (the Superman fight, Batmobile chase, Knightmare battle…).

How to Fix: Justice League will also be a challenge for Batman on an action front, simply because his superpowered teammates are much better equipped (and visually spectacular) when it comes to the battling the alien hordes of Steppenwolf.

However, The Batman will presumably bring things back down to street level; remembering how great that warehouse sequence played in BvS, Affleck can deliver some epic crime drama action that’s specifically tailored to The Batman (see: The Town).

Batman’s Morality

This has been the biggest point of contention with DC Comics fans after Batman v Superman: How brutal and merciless Ben Affleck’s Batman was. There’s even a body count video that tallies how many bad guys he murdered during the film.

How to Fix: Affleck can do for The Batman what Snyder did for Superman in BvS, after the controversy of Man of Steel‘s ending: make the character’s debated morality a focus of the story.

After BvS and Justice League, Affleck’s Batman will be a much more high-profile hero and leader. After being inspired by Superman’s example, Batman should be working on new levels of restraint when policing Gotham. With a story like “Under the Red Hood,” Batman learning the cost of mistaking brutality for justice could be an important theme.