To call Ben Affleck's Batman a bit of a downer would be an understatement. The guy lost all hope after the Battle of Metropolis in Man of Steel, and Batman v Superman gave audiences a rage-fueled Caped Crusader whose quest for vengeance had consumed him. Now, it looks like Justice League will present viewers with a more hopeful version of Batman who has begun to relearn the value of working with a team. Affleck addressed the change and explained:
In Batman v Superman, he was at the end of his rope. But in Justice League, he's finding hope again. He has to open up and play well with others. He knows he needs them.
At one point during one of the Justice League trailers, Commissioner Gordon specifically says that it is good to see Batman working with other heroes again, and that seems to be the emotional and psychological throughline of the character in this film. Batman v Superman presented audiences with a hopeless version of The Dark Knight who not only felt threatened by the presence of metahumans on Earth, but also completely outmatched by their godlike powers. Now he sees the hope that they can inspire (particularly through his time working with Wonder Woman), and Justice League will follow his journey to become a team player (and team leader) in a way that he wasn't during his showdown with the Man of Steel.
Looking beyond the events of Justice League and Ben Affleck's comments to Us Magazine, it seems highly likely that this arc will continue into other DCEU movies. We already know that a Batgirl movie is on the way under the direction of Joss Whedon, followed by a Nightwing movie directed by The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay. With an entire Bat Family entering the silver screen DC universe, we may see a version of Batman who (unlike most silver screen Batmen that we have seen thus far) works better in a team environment as he grows. Remember, the Frank Miller take on Batman is only one version of the character; Justice League may have us someone more in-line with the work of writers like Scott Snyder or Tom King.
With all of that said, it's worth remembering that Batman isn't the only hero whose arc will factor heavily into the events of Justice League. The film will bring Diana Prince back into the equation after her solo movie debuted in theaters this summer, and it will also serve as the proper introduction to Aquaman, The Flash (whom Batman will mentor), and Cyborg. When we put all of that together (and add the fact that Superman is more than likely going to make his return from beyond the grave), it becomes pretty clear that Batman's arc is one of many major story threads to look forward to in this DC epic.
Ben Affleck's Batman will continue his evolution from the brooding anti-hero that we met in Batman v Superman when Justice League debuts in theaters later this year on November 17.
