The last thing the DC Cinematic Universe could use right now is more disarray when it comes to its cinematic canon. Yet that's exactly what The Batman seems to be doing through its various shake-ups and changes, most important of which was the one that started it all. Now, in an incarnation that's seen Ben Affleck step down from the director's chair of the project, it looks like there's going to be a lot more change to come. Specifically, it looks like the creative team is going to be tasked with crafting a brand new story for the Caped Crusader's latest solo effort.
This hunch comes from Forbes, who also reported that there's a possibility that Jared Leto's Joker may be appearing in some capacity in The Batman. Apparently the latest round of re-writes, headed by Argo and Justice League co-writer Chris Terrio, is set to be a complete and total refresh from top to bottom. Furthermore, this re-write is set to be executed once the creative team for The Batman has been secured, with a new director at the head of that transitional team. (Matt Reeves, according to Forbes, remains a frontrunner.) Last, but not least, the film could be on track for a 2019 release date, rather than the more optimistic 2018 slot people were hoping would be in the offing.
All of a sudden, those random rumors that Bret Easton Ellis had to walk back seem to be a bit more credible, as his back channel talk with producers reporting problems with the script now seem to have been vindicated. While it seemed as if Ben Affleck's departure from the director's chair may have been in part enforced by the brass at Warner Bros., possibly due to the under performance of Live By Night, it seems like that may have merely been the straw that broke the studio's bat.
With the change in creative team, director, and now the script looming, we can't help but think to ourselves, "Why would Ben Affleck stay on board with The Batman?" Sure, he's dedicated to staying on board as an actor and producer on the project, but as the Forbes piece pointed out, he was similarly adamant about being the project's director. Knowing the eventual fate of that statement, it's pretty much anyone's guess as to what's going on with The Batman, except that Warner Bros is probably making it soon, and it'll more than likely hit theater screens at some point in the future.
There's so much uncertainty swirling around the solo Batman movie, but because of the anticipated changes that have to occur following Ben Affleck's departure as the film's director, then these delays and creative shifts are inevitable. The movie needs a director. The movie's getting a script refresh. And the movie's likely to get a release-date shuffle, though nothing has been announced by the studio as of yet on that front. As soon as we hear anymore information on The Batman's production progress, no matter how much it may be subject to change, we'll let you know immediately.
