Matt Reeves "The Batman" Focuses on Younger Batman's Origins

[jimboa24]

Hey, I got an idea! How about we cast someone else that looks a little leaner and younger than Affleck? Someone, like, I don't know... Christian Bale? And since this would be before Superman shows up, it would be more gritty and real-world focused! Let's call it...hmmm "It Begins: Batman"! No, that's not right...."Batman: the Beginning"? No, that's not quite it either...

‘The Batman’: Ben Affleck Likely Out as Matt Reeves’ Script Focuses on a Younger Batman

Those of you who were hoping to see Ben Affleck don the cape and cowl again in The Batman, I have some bad news for you: It’s looking unlikely. Not only does the latest version of writer-director Matt Reeves‘ script reportedly skew towards a younger take on the Caped Crusader (at least in the first act), Warner Bros. is in a state of flux where DC projects are concerned, and Affleck also has a pretty busy shooting schedule that’s only gotten busier in recent weeks.

In a THR write-up that recaps the recent executive shake-ups at DC Entertainment and looks ahead to Warner Bros.’ DC movie plans, The Batman appeared as a side note to the whole thing. There’s no official confirmation yet, but if Reeves’ focus on a younger version of Batman is the direction that the film is going, it’s unlikely that Affleck would step in to revisit the role he played in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Your next best chance to see him take on the mantle of Batman once more would be in Warner Bros.’ Justice League sequel, but even that is in question at this point.

Admittedly, that’s kind of a bummer. I happened to like Affleck’s take on both the brooding Bruce Wayne and his hulking bruiser version of Batman. (Whether the scripts lived up to those performances is another matter entirely.) It’s looking like Warner Bros. is trying to refocus their DC superhero/supervillain efforts in the years ahead, and Affleck may be the first casualty in that regard. And it’s not the first time we’ve heard rumors to that effect.

That’s fine for Affleck himself since he is keeping plenty busy lately. He’s currently filming Triple Frontier for writer-director J.C. Chandor alongside co-stars Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal at Netflix. He’s also on board to direct and star in Christopher Keyser‘s adaptation of Agatha Christie‘s crime/mystery novel Witness for the Prosecution, and will likely return for a sequel to the crime-drama The Accountant. Affleck was also just reported to be reteaming with The Accountant director Gavin O’Connor for the sports drama, The Has-Been.

[Deleted]

Younger Batman? So, like...




No? Different young Batman? Damn, this is confusing.

[Sunseeker]

DC really ought to stick to animated films.

[jimboa24]

Younger Batman? So, like...




No? Different young Batman? Damn, this is confusing.

See, where DC went wrong was in allowing Chris Nolan in making his Batman Trilogy tightly self-contained, leaving no room whatsoever to tie it in with other movie franchises. If they were smart, they would have told him to at least drop tiny hints here and there of a larger Universe without beating the audience over the head with it or making the story suffer or revolve around it. You know, like most current Marvel Cinematic Universe movies do.

[Biomega]

Yes, let's do ANOTHER take on Batman, with ANOTHER actor, for the dozenth time!

In other news, a land war in Russia will certainly work THIS TIME.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

How many times do we have to see his parents die

[Deleted]

How many times do we have to see his parents die

How about an alternate universe version of Batman, where Bruce's parents don't die, and he grows up to be a lazy, entitled, billionaire playboy who spends daddy's money left and right on cars, clothes, booze, women, so basically everything Bruce does now, except he's a complete wimp who's never done anything athletic in his life, who's never fought with anything in his life, not even a jar of pickles, who isn't educated, who just spends all of his days on social media spewing nonsense.

Someone like Jaden Smith could be in the starring role.

[Soulwind]

See, where DC went wrong was in allowing Chris Nolan in making his Batman Trilogy tightly self-contained, leaving no room whatsoever to tie it in with other movie franchises. If they were smart, they would have told him to at least drop tiny hints here and there of a larger Universe without beating the audience over the head with it or making the story suffer or revolve around it. You know, like most current Marvel Cinematic Universe movies do.

The Nolan universe doesn't really work with the supernatural.

Vague hints of Ra's al Ghul being immortal are okay, a human looking alien flying and shooting lasers out of his eyes, not so much. At best, they could have introduced Green Arrow, Cyborg and some of the Watchmen, along with the rest of the Bat family and most of Gotham's Rogue's Gallery.

But the first and third of the Nolan movies were already not-that-great, because The Dark Knight was the one he really wanted to do. Forcing a cinematic universe out of that single idea wouldn't have been better than the current DCEU.

[Spryte]

Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy was the perfect batman for me, don't really need another series after that personally.

[Deleted]

So it's basically going to be kinda like the comic/animated movie "Batman: Year One". This story was actually pretty good imo.
Still, I thought people were done with origin stories and studio's know this by now.

Why can't they actually give people what they want: A good Batman detective story in the present time, including Nightwing.

[Deleted]

The Nolan universe doesn't really work with the supernatural.

Vague hints of Ra's al Ghul being immortal are okay, a human looking alien flying and shooting lasers out of his eyes, not so much. At best, they could have introduced Green Arrow, Cyborg and some of the Watchmen, along with the rest of the Bat family and most of Gotham's Rogue's Gallery.

But the first and third of the Nolan movies were already not-that-great, because The Dark Knight was the one he really wanted to do. Forcing a cinematic universe out of that single idea wouldn't have been better than the current DCEU.

Not that great? I laughed.

The Dark Knight being the only one he wanted to do? I laughed even harder.

[cuafpr]

the Dark Knight series set the bar for Batman movies really.. i wish they could have expanded from that with nightwing or robin since its pretty well hinted at. As for a DCU batman prequel type movie, eh if they can pull it off sure. I'm not sure why DCU struggles so much vs MCU other than DCU tends to be darker, so maybe that just doesn't have the same general audience appeal?

[Woadnson]

I can see Warner Brothers keeping it's options open and tainting it again. Affleck will decide at the last minute to do some reduced work for it, narration and framework, try and turn it into something like "the death of batman" with some heavy amounts of flashback stuff and make it a dreary mess. If Affleck stays away, I'd be much more into seeing it, a coherent product would be nice for once.

[Redwolf]

the Dark Knight series set the bar for Batman movies really..

It certainly didn't set the bar for cool well choreographed fight scenes though... I'm sure someone has a gif of the roof top fight with batman and catwoman fighting some thuggies

[Sunseeker]

How about an alternate universe version of Batman, where Bruce's parents don't die, and he grows up to be a lazy, entitled, billionaire playboy who spends daddy's money left and right on cars, clothes, booze, women, so basically everything Bruce does now, except he's a complete wimp who's never done anything athletic in his life, who's never fought with anything in his life, not even a jar of pickles, who isn't educated, who just spends all of his days on social media spewing nonsense.

Someone like Jaden Smith could be in the starring role.

I read the first line of your post and my inner nerd screamed "Thomas Wayne Batman!? HELLS YES!" then you said all that other stuff.

[jimboa24]

The Nolan universe doesn't really work with the supernatural.

Vague hints of Ra's al Ghul being immortal are okay, a human looking alien flying and shooting lasers out of his eyes, not so much. At best, they could have introduced Green Arrow, Cyborg and some of the Watchmen, along with the rest of the Bat family and most of Gotham's Rogue's Gallery.

But the first and third of the Nolan movies were already not-that-great, because The Dark Knight was the one he really wanted to do. Forcing a cinematic universe out of that single idea wouldn't have been better than the current DCEU.

You're thinking too big. All it takes (again, ALA MCU) is mentioning Metropolis...or the Daily Planet...or even a vague reference to another vigilante that prefers a bow an arrow. You don't have to fully introduce a flying alien. All you have to do is acknowledge that other cities, like Metropolis, exist and you've already done wonders in terms of establishing the existence of other superheroes.

The MCU doesn't do much to connect the movies together. Most of the time all they do is name-drop another character or his/her city and that's it. Like in Captain America: Winter Soldier where literally, all they did was mention Stephen Strange and Tony Stark by name and that's pretty much it.

[tyrlaan]

You're thinking too big. All it takes (again, ALA MCU) is mentioning Metropolis...or the Daily Planet...or even a vague reference to another vigilante that prefers a bow an arrow. You don't have to fully introduce a flying alien. All you have to do is acknowledge that other cities, like Metropolis, exist and you've already done wonders in terms of establishing the existence of other superheroes.

The MCU doesn't do much to connect the movies together. Most of the time all they do is name-drop another character or his/her city and that's it. Like in Captain America: Winter Soldier where literally, all they did was mention Stephen Strange and Tony Stark by name and that's pretty much it.

This right here is what WB keeps not getting with regards to the DCU. The continuity is window dressing in the MCU, but is woven into the main story path in the DCU. The worldbuilding shouldn't feel like its being shoehorned in or shoved down your throat.

I also think it was a mistake to establish the live action TV shows as a different universe than the movies, but that's a lesser issue.

[Goldielocks]

WB should reboot the entire thing. People seem to like Gal as WW so keep her, but create a scenario where a new JL movie can be introduced down the line with the younger Batman. Doing it like this is too limiting. You'd be making movies in between the first WW and MoS, you'd have to keep continuity at least a bit.

I would say use Flashpoint for this but it doesn't look like too many people like Ezra as Barry.

[jackofwind]

Not that great? I laughed.

The Dark Knight being the only one he wanted to do? I laughed even harder.

Heath Ledger was the only good thing about that entire trilogy.

Everything else is meme levels of trope.

[Oakshana]

How many times do we have to see his parents die

Until WE become the Batman.