Batman Billboard Truck Outside Discovery HQ Urges WBD to Make the Batfleck Movie

Fans of Ben Affleck's Batman are igniting their own "Bat-Signal" outside Discovery Global Headquarters in New York City. After the viral campaign to release the Snyder Cut of director Zack Snyder's Justice League, Batfleck fans continue to rally behind the effort to convince the merged Warner Bros. Discovery to greenlight Affleck's unmade Batman movie. "We request that you please make Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie," reads a digital billboard addressing Discovery, Inc. CEO David Zaslav. The ad asks Zaslav and WBD to give Affleck creative control to make a "key chapter in the SnyderVerse" and the "best Batman movie ever made." 

The mobile billboard parked outside the Discovery building flashes the potential cast of Affleck's Batman movie, including Joe Manganiello as the assassin Deathstroke and Affleck's Justice League co-stars Jeremy Irons as Alfred and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. Another image lights up the Discovery logo as the Bat-Signal as a silhouette of Affleck's Dark Knight looks on with the hashtags "#MakeTheBatfleckMovie" and "#RestoreTheSnyderVerse." 

Don’t stop tweeting #MakeTheBatfleckMovie !!!! @Discovery SEES YOU!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/F6vCvx6yrC

— The Batfleck Movie #MakeTheBatfleckMovie (@BatfleckMovie) March 28, 2022

Affleck began developing his version of The Batman before entering the DC Extended Universe in Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. Affleck was to direct the script he co-wrote with Geoff Johns as a standalone Bat-movie with an appearance by Batgirl. 

But the Argo Oscar winner ultimately dropped out of The Batman, which filmmaker Matt Reeves reworked into a Batverse reboot starring Robert Pattinson as a younger caped crusader. In 2019, Affleck retired the cape and cowl and said he "couldn't crack" his version of The Batman. He later told GQ he lost enthusiasm after the theatrical version of Justice League, which was completed by Joss Whedon and released into theaters in 2017.

"I had my fill of that. [Warner Bros.] said, 'Would you want to direct and star in a solo Batman movie?' I found that I had lost my enthusiasm or passion for it," Affleck said. "This should really be made by somebody for whom it's their wildest dream come true and, for me, it had become something different, and it was clear to me that it was time to move on. But I do have some really fond memories, particularly of Batman v Superman, and how exciting that was. And how energizing it was and how much fun we had."

Affleck will reprise the Batman role in The Flash, scheduled to open in theaters on June 23, 2023.