So far in the DC Extended Universe, Batman isn't the primary player in his appearances. He's either with his fellow heroes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and next year's Justice League, or he's making a minor appearance amidst a horde of super villains in Suicide Squad next month. However, to no one's surprise, Warner Bros is also keen on spotlighting Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader in his own movie in the near future. Details have been scarce about what to expect from the solo Batman movie, but the latest rumor indicates it may take place at Arkham Asylum.
According to sources who spoke with Batman-on-Film, the next Batman movie might see the eponymous hero being locked up at the same mental hospital where he sends his adversaries who aren't in their right minds, i.e. the majority of his rogues gallery. It's unclear how long he would be stuck there or for what reason, but apparently the movie wouldn't be a direct adaptation of the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum or the Grant Morrison story Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth. That lines up with what Ben Affleck said about the Batman movie, which he's co-writing with Geoff Johns, being an original story.
Arkham Asylum has been a key Batman location since 1974, notorious for keeping most of Batman's enemies locked up, but doing a subpar job treating them or keeping them from escaping. The facility has already gotten some movie attention in Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Batman Begins, and it will be seen next month in Suicide Squad when we see Dr. Harleen Quinzel meeting The Joker for the first time. Admittedly, it's hard to imagine an entire Batman movie being set at Arkham Asylum. It may have worked for a video game, but for the big screen, many love to see the Dark Knight maneuvering around Gotham City's poorly-lit streets and tacking crime in various locations. So Arkham Asylum would obviously be a cool destination to visit, don't be surprised if only part of the movie is set within its halls.
It is worth pointing out that it was reported a few months ago that the Batman movie would feature multiple Batman villains, and where best to find a lot of these colorful characters together than locked up in padded cells at Arkham? Of course, said villains would eventually be freed and attack the vigilante who locked them up. Still, that doesn't shed any more light on who the story's main antagonist would be, whether it's someone familiar like Joker or a villain that hasn't gotten their time to shine in the movies, like Hush, Hugo Strange or Red Hood.
Despite being deep into development, the solo Batman movie has yet to be assigned a release date, but we'll keep you updated on its progress are more information come in.
