Ben Affleck Returning To Batman, But In The Most Surprising Way Possible?
An unconfirmed report suggests Ben Affleck may be directing The Brave and the Bold.
Is the upcoming Flash movie really the end of Batfleck? Maybe not. Above the Line reports, there are rumors swirling that Ben Affleck might return to Batman as the director of The Brave and The Bold.
The movie was one of several that James Gunn and Peter Safran recently announced for the first phase of their new DCU. Titled Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, Gunn and Safran’s initial slate of DC projects also includes Superman: Legacy, Creature Commandos, and The Authority. Of all the projects from Chapter 1 that Ben Affleck could helm, the lone Batman movie makes the most sense.
The original plan when Ben Affleck was first brought into DC’s cinematic universe was for the star to direct The Batman. Affleck would have starred in the movie as well, making it a much different affair than the Matt Reeves epic we eventually got.
Ben Affleck had initially planned for the main villain in The Batman to be Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke. Unfortunately, Manganiello only ended up playing the infamous mercenary in two short scenes, both at the end of two different cuts of Justice League. Sadly, an epic showdown between Ben’s grizzled Dark Knight and Joe’s Deathstroke will have to remain in the land of what could have been, although who knows with all these multiverses floating around.
Affleck’s movie would have obviously focused on an older Caped Crusader with over 20 years of experience vs. the year two novice we got with Robert Pattinson. When Matt Reeves took over directing duties from Ben Affleck, he decided to axe the Batman script from Affleck and Geoff Johns and write his own. Box office earnings and a positive critical reception are strong indicators that he made the right call.
Now it appears that Ben Affleck wants to direct a Batman movie after all. Despite the turbulence of almost 10 years of Warner Bros trying to patchwork together a working DC film universe to rival Marvel, Affleck still has a fondness for the character. Directing The Brave and the Bold could be Ben’s chance to do the Dark Knight the way he wants to, finally.
Gunn didn’t reveal much about The Brave and the Bold except that it features Batman and Robin in a literal father-and-son relationship. Gunn is not only bringing Robin back to the big screen for the first time since the disastrous Batman and Robin but he’s chosen the Damian Wayne incarnation for the film.
Having the Dynamic Duo together means that Ben Affleck potentially gets to cast not only the new DCU’s main Batman but also its version of the Boy Wonder. Having that much control over the course the new DCU takes might be an appetizing prospect for Affleck. It’s no secret that the prior series of DC films didn’t exactly use Ben to the best of his abilities.
Of course, by doubling down on DC, the director runs the risk of possibly not being taken seriously by the Hollywood elite in the future. Tinseltown has a short memory, and Argo was a while ago. Does Ben Affleck really want to be typecast as the “Batman Guy” for the rest of his career?
At least it’s better than being remembered for Daredevil.
