Ben Affleck reportedly was drawing inspiration from one of David Fincher's films when developing his take for The Batman. Warner Bros' first Batman standalone in the DCEU has had its fair share of hiccups during development. While he was previously slated to star, write, and direct the film, Affleck is now only starring (with many still questioning if that happens). His decision to step down as the writer and director has since brought director Matt Reeves into the fold, leaving it up to imagination as for what Affleck's version would've been.
Before his role with the film decreased, Affleck repeatedly mentioned his desire to make the ultimate detective Batman story. With decades of inspiration to draw from with the comics, it was actually one of David Fincher's films that continued to inspire his take on the the Dark Knight.
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Umberto Gonzalez of The Wrap revealed on Twitter that Fincher's 1997 film The Game was a source of inspiration for Affleck's take on The Batman. In The Game, a man's entire life is revealed to be part of a giant conspiracy, leaving it up to him to uncover the truth. If that possibility sounds appealing, most of those elements are not expected to be included now that Reeves is retooling the script.
While Affleck's version of the script may have been inspired by The Game, it may have been more about the complex and winding story that were the biggest draws for Affleck. Turning Bruce Wayne's entire life upside down with a conspiracy is probably unlikely, but the complexity would have provided a natural detective angle for Batman. Since he is the world's greatest detective, featuring a story that continues to twist would easily exploit those characteristics in a bigger way than most of the live-action portrayals have.
What is unclear about this is where Deathstroke would come into play. We know Joe Manganiello was cast as Deathstroke to be the main villain back when Affleck was working on the script - and his future now appears unknown - but he poses more of a physical challenge for Batman. He is similarly calculative in his work, but how he would be involved in a plot that continues to twist and turn and challenges Batman's detective skills is unknown. Since Affleck's script is no longer being used, this is simply a case of what could've been under different circumstances. Hopefully, Reeves is crafting a story that can rival or surpass anything Affleck developed before, but keeping some of his elements may further give Affleck reason to stick around.
More: Matt Reeves Confirms The Batman Is In DCEU
The Batman is currently in development and does not have a release date.
Source: Umberto Gonzalez
