Ben Affleck’s The Batman Is One Of The Best Superhero Movies Never Made – SlashFilm

Welcome to The Best Movies Never Made, a glance again on the most fascinating, unusual, and tantalizing movies that by no means really made it in entrance of cameras — and perhaps ought to have.

There are numerous totally different flavors of Batman films. There’s Tim Burton’s German expressionist gothic fantasy, the romantic drama of the animated “Batman: Masks of the Illusion,” Christopher Nolan’s gritty crime epic “Darkish Knight” trilogy, and the grungy homicide thriller of “The Batman.” However within the cracks of these Batman films are loads of unrealized initiatives, and the one which haunts me probably the most is “The Batman,” starring and directed by Ben Affleck.

Affleck had arguably probably the most tumultuous time within the function of any reside-motion Batman actor. I used to be one of many silly skeptics befuddled by his casting in “Batman v Superman,” however I walked out of that film excited to see extra of his Batman. Given Affleck had distinguished himself as a director (his 2012 film “Argo” received Best Image), there was a pure assumption that when his Batman ultimately received a film, Affleck himself would additionally direct it.

That was the plan, and within the lead-as much as “Batman v Superman,” Affleck sounded excited to mount the problem. Talking to USA At this time in 2016, he described enjoying Batman underneath Snyder’s path nearly like an apprenticeship getting ready him to direct Batman himself.

“I might by no means have imagined that I may or would direct a film like this. And in working with [Snyder] and seeing what he did and watching him daily, I received actually impressed by that and by seeing the scope on which he was telling the story, by seeing what he was in a position to do with this type of mythic story on a grand scale.”

However then got here the not-so-nice response to “Batman v Superman.” After which Affleck’s ardour challenge “Reside By Night time” bombed, and “Justice League” was ailing-recieved too. Because of his private struggles with dependancy, Affleck stepped away from the film — and in the end from enjoying Batman totally.

Director Matt Reeves overhauled “The Batman” utterly, and that film is a nice comfort prize. However you already know what they are saying about grass on the opposite facet. Affleck’s aborted Batman reign looks like a squandered alternative, and the collapse of his “The Batman” is the worst symptom of that.

In a 2019 look on “Jimmy Kimmel Reside!”, Affleck mentioned he wasn’t in a position to “crack” his “Batman” script; he was co-writing with Chris Terrio (“Argo”) and prolific DC author Geoff Johns. No drafts have ever leaked, so we’re nonetheless considerably at nighttime on the precise story of Affleck’s “The Batman.” However we do know that Deathstroke/Slade Wilson (Joe Mangianello) was going to be the primary villain.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” features a scene of Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) giving Slade Batman’s secret identification, organising the “Batman” we by no means received. Mangianello has mentioned (through Heroic Hollywood) that Slade was looking for revenge for his lifeless son. (Within the comics, Grant Wilson died attempting to impress his father by combating the Teen Titans. It might have been simple to have Grant’s goal be Batman as an alternative.)

Storyboard artist and DC animation director Jay Oliva instructed Inverse that Affleck’s “The Batman” would’ve pulled collectively 80 years of Batman comedian tales. However one specifically jumps out at me as a probable inspiration: “Knightfall,” through which Bane destroys Batman piece by piece. Within the film, it may as an alternative have been Slade coming to interrupt the Bat.

Whereas “The Darkish Knight Rises” featured probably the most well-known second of “Knightfall” — Bane (Tom Hardy) actually breaking Batman’s (Christian Bale) again — the film could not rival the scope of the comedian, which was full of different tremendous-villains and Bat-household sidekicks. Concerning the latter, we all know at the least Batgirl was deliberate to look in Affleck’s “Batman.”

Although Deathstroke was not created as a Batman villain, he features nicely as an evil ubermensch mirror to the Darkish Knight as a result of they’re each grasp martial artists and eager strategists who mentor younger individuals in their very own picture. Couple that with Slade’s visceral revenge motivation, and we may’ve seen Batman’s best problem on movie but.

As a serial killer thriller, Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s “The Batman” is usually in comparison with David Fincher’s “Se7en.” Joe Manganiello signifies Fincher (who directed Affleck in “Gone Woman”) would’ve been an affect on Affleck’s “Batman” too.

Talking to ComicBook.com, Manganiello invoked “The Sport,” Fincher’s 1997 film a couple of depressed financier (Michael Douglas) who’s focused by a conspiracy that begins taking every thing from him. In that vein, Deathstroke would have “systematically [dismantled] Bruce’s life and murdering all of the individuals in it, and [destroy] his funds and simply mainly [paint] him right into a nook,” Mangianello mentioned.

However in contrast to Douglas in “The Sport,” Batman will not be helpless, so little question he would have fought again. Matt Reeves, discussing Affleck and firm’s “Batman” script on “The Q&A” podcast, mentioned it was “motion-pushed” and “full of plenty of set items,” evaluating it to a James Bond film.

One of absolutely the highlights of Affleck’s debut as Batman in “Batman v Superman” was the scene the place he fights a warehouse filled with thugs, tearing them aside with brute power and devices alike. It is the one Batman motion scene in film historical past that captures how he hits like a tank however strikes with the pace of a ninja. Think about a Batman movie full of scenes like that, together with ones the place Batman would lastly have an adversary who may match him blow for blow.

Such an motion movie would’ve been a brand new expertise for Affleck as a director. However taking a look at his previous movies, I nonetheless see his “in” for Batman past spectacle. “Gone Child Gone” and “The City,” each set in his native Boston, are crime films about how the group you are raised in defines you. That, too, is the sentiment of Batman’s campaign to guard Gotham Metropolis. Some rumored particulars of the film counsel Affleck’s “The Batman” may delivered probably the most comedian-correct Gotham but; a darkish, brooding metropolis, but additionally one full of numerous eccentric tremendous-villains. 

Robert Richardson, the go-to cinematographer of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, shot Ben Affleck’s “Reside by Night time” and “Air.” He was additionally Affleck’s decide to shoot “The Batman,” and the considered a “Batman” film with one of many dwelling legends of cinematography behind the digicam ought to excite any film fan.

In a 2019 look on the “Completely happy Unhappy Confused” podcast, Richardson shared the unfilmed script was set at the least partially at Arkham Asylum. Furthermore, the film would’ve explored the “madness points” and “darker facet” of Batman, too.

Richardson’s feedback lead me to suspect that Affleck would possibly’ve been seeking to the “Batman: Arkham Asylum” online game or Grant Morrison & Dave McKean’s “Arkham Asylum: A Critical Home on Critical Earth” for extra inspiration. These are tales of Batman trapped inside Arkham surrounded by his best enemies. 

The DC Prolonged Universe promised a silver display Batman nearer to the comics than ever — one who lives in a universe full of different superheroes, and who has a totally assembled rogues gallery. If “The Batman” detoured to Arkham, would possibly we’ve got seen traditional tremendous-villains just like the Riddler, Two-Face, and the Scarecrow?

Talking to Esquire, Matt Reeves additionally claimed Affleck’s “Batman” script “was very deeply related to the DCEU, with different main characters from different films and different comics popping up.” Bringing in DC superhero cameos moreover Batgirl, and that includes the A-Record Batman villains collectively? That would definitely clarify Jay Oliva’s feedback concerning the film welding collectively Batman’s comedian historical past like no different movie has. 

I like Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves’ Batman films, however they each consciously strip down the fantasy of the supply materials, providing the pitch of Batman if he existed in the actual world. Conversely, the Batman films that do present how wacky a spot Gotham Metropolis will be just like the Joel Schumacher movies are full-on camp. Affleck’s “The Batman” may lastly threaded a needle that so many comedian books have; a Gotham Metropolis that is each heightened and gothic, and permits Batman to be fantastical with out forgetting he is the Darkish Knight.

I nonetheless bear in mind the primary second Ben Affleck as Batman began to win me over. It was nicely earlier than the film, after we received the primary grayscale take a look at his Batman costume. It is a pet peeve of mine how so many film Batsuits clad the hero in all black, when within the comics, Batman’s costume is generally gray. The “Batman v Superman” Batsuit was the primary one since Adam West to acknowledge this. Zack Snyder is a famous devotee of Frank Miller’s defining 1986 comedian “The Darkish Knight Returns,” and Miller crafted a Batman who leaped off that comedian’s pages.

Nonetheless, idea artwork for Affleck’s “The Batman” signifies that a part of the filmmaker discovering his personal imaginative and prescient for the character included a brand new aesthetic. Idea artwork for Affleck’s “The Batman” shared by Ken Christensen confirmed a extra segmented, armored Batman go well with, nearer to the one worn by Christian Bale’s Darkish Knight.

Christensen wrote on his ArtStation submit that he “needed to make a go well with that felt like actual ballistic supplies whereas nonetheless sustaining the icon.” That may also be seen with the design overhaul of Deathstroke he shared:

“I believed it is likely to be cool if there was a monitor arcing up from the attention that varied bits of [lens] tech may slide into,” wrote Christensen. 

Snyder introduced comedian e book-like grandeur to Batman, whereas it seems Affleck may’ve dug again into the nitty gritty. As a lot as I think this might’ve mounted an issue that wasn’t there, I nonetheless mourn not seeing a face-off between Batman and Deathstroke as conceived by Christensen.

In 2017, we realized Affleck wouldn’t be directing “The Batman.” He was nonetheless planning to star at the moment, however later walked away from that, too. Matt Reeves was employed quickly after, however the script wasn’t the “Batman” he needed to make. When Affleck left altogether, that opened the door for Reeves to craft a Batman all his personal. The arc Reeves wrote for his Bruce Wayne — a 12 months 2 novice nonetheless studying how you can be Batman — sat on the reverse pole from Affleck’s Batman, a veteran seeing his previous catching as much as him as he worries about his legacy.

Of course, the collapse of Affleck’s “The Batman” is merely a subplot in a bigger story — the failure of the DC Prolonged Universe. “Batman v Superman” was meant to be an elevation of this saga, and the film’s poor reception made the entire enterprise blow up in Warner Bros.’ face earlier than it may correctly take off. 

Like Affleck strolling away from “The Batman,” WB has since thrown its palms up and relaunched a brand new DC Universe that is off to a greater begin to date with James Gunn’s 2025 “Superman.” However do not anticipate Affleck to be wooed again, as Batman or not. Talking to The L.A. Instances in 2022, Affleck appeared at peace with placing Batman behind him: “I checked out [‘Batman’] and thought, ‘I am not going to be completely happy doing this. The one that does this could adore it.'” 

In 2023, Affleck additionally instructed The Hollywood Reporter he would “completely not” direct a film within the new DC Universe. Between Batman and his function within the panned 2003 “Daredevil,” he is positively had sufficient superhero complications for a lifetime.