With Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice now officially present and accounted for at cinemas around the world, it seems like everyone is talking about Batman and Superman. Opinions on the movie as a whole are still incredibly divided, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the movie is doing some substantial box-office business for Warner Bros.
Ever since the concept for the movie was publicly announced back in 2013, Batman V Superman has been faced with an almost constant deluge of opinions. Of all these, Ben Affleck’s appointment as Batman was probably one of the most controversial. At present time, despite the polarized points of view with regards to the movie, Affleck’s portrayal as The Dark Knight appears to be one of Batman V Superman’s most widely enjoyed aspects.
With the “Batfleck” approval riding high, now is perhaps the best time for William Morris Endeavor’s co-CEO’s Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell to confirm that aside from being contracted to appear in both upcoming Justice League movies (which Snyder is onboard to direct), Affleck has also written his own standalone Batman film. Speaking with THR, Whitesell had this to say regarding the future of Ben Affleck as Batman:
“He’s contracted to do at least Justice League One and Two, so at least three times wearing the cape. There’s a script that he’s written that is a really cool [Batman] idea, so that’s out there as an option.”
Affleck’s name has been linked to a standalone Batman movie before, going back to San Diego Comic-Con 2015 – when it was reported that the Oscar-winning actor/writer/director was working on a Batman film script with DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. Though nothing was officially confirmed at that time, it was rumoured that Affleck would also direct and star in the Caped Crusader’s next solo vehicle. Then, not too long before Batman V Superman opened in theaters, Affleck confirmed that he was working on something with Johns, but he was reluctant to say exactly what that project was. It seems safe to assume he was referring to his Batman film script, based on the comment from Whitesell.
Now that we know that a new standalone Batman movie script exists – written by Batman himself – a tremendous amount of questions will undoubtedly spring into the minds of every Batman fan out there, especially those who enjoyed Affleck’s take on the character in Batman V Superman. So far, the rumors surrounding the project have ranged from claims that the storyline will be a big screen take on the Under the Red Hood animated film/comic book series to reports that Will Smith’s Deadshot from the upcoming Suicide Squad will play a major role in the Affleck-led Batman solo film.
There’s no word yet on whether Affleck’s Batman movie script is close to being green-lit, nor whether it’s a certainty yet that Affleck would direct the film in addition to starring in it (though Affleck has hinted in the past that he will end up doing just that). In the meantime, it is confirmed that Affleck will make an appearance during Suicide Squad – as was revealed by the SDCC 2015 trailer for the David Ayer film – before he stars in the Justice League movies; whether or not the Batman solo movie gets fast-tracked as a result of the reactions to Affleck in Batman V Superman, that we will have to wait and see.
NEXT: Batman V Superman’s Justice League Connections Explained
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is now playing in U.S. theaters. Suicide Squad will arrive on August 5, 2016, followed by Wonder Woman on June 23, 2017; Justice League Part One on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League Part Two on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps. on June 19, 2020.
