For over a year, there’s been talk of Ben Affleck’s Batman leading his own movie in the DC Extended Universe. Following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the chatter reached an all time high concerning the Caped Crusader’s future, but there hadn’t been any official word about whether the Batman movie was being added to the slate. Now it appears the project is officially a go.
During the Warner Pros presentation at CinemaCon, Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara announced that the solo Batman movie is officially happening. Here’s one account of the revelation from Slashfilm:
Several tweets from Ben Fritz of The Wall Street Journal say that not only will Affleck remain in the Batsuit, but he’ll also be behind the camera as the movie’s director. The movie is expected to come out sometime in the next five years.
While Batman is the DC superhero who has had the biggest theatrical presence over the decades, until now his only official DCEU appearances beyond Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice were Suicide Squad and the two Justice League movies. However, following the 2014 DC slate announcement and various reports, it was clear Warner Bros was keen on developing a new adventure for the Gotham City vigilante, who in this universe has already been active for 20 years. There’s no word yet on whether the movie would take place earlier in Batman’s crimefighting career or after his first experiences with Superman, Wonder Woman and Earth’s other metahumans.
Along with the Batman movie reports, there have been rumblings that Ben Affleck would direct it, and today’s announcement implied that he’ll be at the helm, though an official press release will clear that up at some point. Of course, Affleck has proved his directing chops with Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo, so Batman is would be the next step up, especially considering that’s his favorite superhero. The actor has also reportedly taken part in the writing process, working with DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns on the script.
As for the release date, last week Warner Bros announced two new DC movies scheduled for October 5, 2018 and November 1, 2019, respectively. Odds are the Batman movie will go in one of these spots, giving moviegoers an extra helping of him in the midst of all his other appearances. Considering how positively received Affleck’s Batman was in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s only logical that Warner Bros would want to take their shadowy hero and have him branch out on his own in this cinematic universe.
We’ll keep you apprised on any updates regarding the Batman movie, but for now, you can see the Caped Crusader in action during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, now playing in theaters.
