DC’s New Arkham Plans Could Pay Off Affleck’s Lost Batman Movie

James Gunn has confirmed a Arkham Asylum television series that has the potential to fulfill Ben Affleck’s lost Batman movie. The DC Extended Universe timeline is being rebooted as the DC Universe, helmed by famed director James Gunn. Gunn has announced a swathe of new DC movies and television series, one of which will depict Batman‘s Arkham Asylum. The Arkham Asylum series has no fixed release date, but the limited information revealed thus far suggests it could complete Ben Affleck’s plan for a solo Batman movie.

Arkham Asylum is the infamous psychiatric hospital in Gotham City that typically houses Batman’s most dangerous villains, including the likes of the Joker, Harley Quinn, and the Riddler. It has appeared periodically throughout various Batman movies and television series, but none of these have ever truly matched the institute’s comic book legacy and the narrative potential of the location. While there are no specified plot details revealed, the Arkham Asylum series looks set to make Affleck’s intention of centering the hospital within a Batman movie a reality for the world of TV, though it’s unclear whether the hero himself will appear.

A DCU Arkham Project Needs Batman’s Involvement

Arkham Asylum is one of the most iconic facets of the Batman franchise. While it has appeared briefly in live-action movies, no DC film has quite given the institution the attention it deserves. As such, a live-action Arkham Asylum television series would be very welcome. Though there has been no word on who would appear in the series, it would surely also mandate an appearance from Batman himself. The most infamous inmates at Arkham are typically placed there after Batman has captured them. Indeed, many of them identify themselves in opposition to the Caped Crusader and are driven by their desire to escape and enact revenge.

Removing Batman from the Arkham Asylum television series would remove this essential context. As such, even if he doesn’t appear in the first season, Batman must feature to some degree. Furthermore, establishing Batman within the series would allow for an adaptation of the beloved graphic novel Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, which is both an iconic story in its own right, and served as the inspiration for the renowned Batman: Arkham video game franchise. Including Batman in the Arkham Asylum series would also benefit the wider franchise. Too many DC adaptations are disconnected, and one major benefit of the DCU reboot is the opportunity to unite all output within the same overarching franchise – much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Ben Affleck’s Arkham Movie Plans Explained

Before Matt Reeves took over The Batman and rebooted it with Robert Pattinson as the eponymous hero, Ben Affleck was due to both star in and direct a Batman movie. Affleck was praised for his performance as the Caped Crusader, managing to play both Batman and Bruce Wayne compellingly. As such, Zack Snyder set up the potential movie within the DCEU. However, Affleck’s Batman movie was sadly canceled after the actor faced health issues and stepped down from the project in 2017. The movie’s plot has since been revealed though, and would have been set in Arkham Asylum.

Ben Affleck’s Batman movie would have featured Batgirl, and notably included Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke as the primary antagonist – who briefly appeared in Justice League. The movie would have been a psychological thriller rather than a standard comic book action movie, exploring the inmates of Arkham Asylum and the infamous instituation’s origins. Following the DCEU reboot with James Gunn at the helm, it is unlikely that Ben Affleck’s Batman solo movie will ever get made, but many of the same topic and themes are due to be explored in the new Arkham Asylum television series.

Arkham’s Best Future Revives Affleck’s Lost Movie

The Batman‘s director, Matt Reeves, revealed in March 2022 that he was working on a spin-off series that has evolved into the DCU’s Arkham Asylum series. He stated that the show would build upon Arkham State Hospital’s introduction in The Batman and explore the different characters the institute houses and their origins. Additionally, Reeves stated the series would lean into the horror tone often associated with Arkham and would depict the location as a haunted house. Following the DCU reboot, James Gunn has clarified that the project is going ahead and would be considered a part of the new DCU.

This suggests that Reeve’s Batman (Robert Pattinson) will not appear in the Arkham Asylum series, as The Batman is continuing under the Elseworlds label and will be considered non-canonical in the DCU. Regardless, the DCU will have a new Batman who could appear in Arkham Asylum and complete Affleck’s vision for a horror-themed Arkham narrative that exploits the location’s gothic potential. As a result, the DCU can finally pay off Affleck’s lost Batman movie with the Arkham Asylum series, bringing the famed hero into an institute containing his greatest foes.