The Batman director Matt Reeves has shared some details on Ben Affleck's abandoned Batman movie. When Affleck signed on to play Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. had long-term plans for the actor as Affleck was set to write, direct and star in a solo Batman movie. Development began and the studio even released a video revealing Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, as the film's main villain.

Affleck stepped down from directing the film in early 2017, and though he was still set to star in the project he would eventually leave the role after the difficult Justice League reshoots and the actor admitting he was not feeling the drive to make the movie. Before Affleck officially departed the project entirely, he was still set to star in the movie and Warner Bros. started looking for new directors and the studio landed Matt Reeves a few months before the release of War for the Planet of the Apes. Reeves opted to go for a different approach for Batman, featuring a younger version of the character and recasting with Robert Pattinson in a film set outside the main DCEU continuity.

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In a recent interview with Esquire, Reeves reveals that Warner Bros. did originally send him the script that Affleck had been working on. While Reeves thought it was a valid take on the Caped Crusader, it was not the Batman movie he wanted to make and pitched the studio his own take. Reeves revealed tidbits of information about Affleck's film, like that it would be very connected to the DCEU, feature characters from other films and comics, and be very action-focused. Reeves even compared it to a James Bond film. He said:

"I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie. It was very action-driven. It was very deeply connected to the DCEU, with other major characters from other movies and other comics popping up. I just knew that when I read it this particular script was not the way I’d want to do it, I said 'look, I think maybe I’m not the person for this'. And I explained to them why I love this character. I told them that there have been so many great movies, but if I were to do this, I’d have to make it personal, so that I understood what I was going to do with it, so that I know where to put the camera, so that I know what to tell the actors, so that I know what the story should be. This take, I told them, pointing at the script, is a totally valid and exciting take. It is almost James Bond-ian, but it wasn’t something that I quite related to."

Ben Affleck's Batman and Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke from Justice League

Since the project fell apart, details have come out about Affleck's Batman plans. It was partially inspired by the popular Arkham Asylum video games and Manganiello revealed Deathstroke would kill a famous Batman character. It was also hinted that the film would introduce Batgirl, a concept the studio has seemed to rework with the upcoming HBO Max Batgirl film which will feature Batman, but instead of Affleck, it is Michael Keaton under the cowl. The appearance of other DCEU characters in Affleck's Batman script suggests the film may have featured members of the Justice League in some capacity, possibly setting up plot points that would have been explored in Zack Snyder's plans for the second and third films.

Reeves comparing Affleck's Batman to James Bond hints at a cultural tie between the two franchises. The point of comparison is likely Affleck's script had a lot of gadget-based action like the Bond films are famous for. Batman and James Bond both exploded into popularity in the 1960s, and 1995 saw the release of both Batman Forever and Goldeneye, which were both attempts to reinvent their franchises. When the Batman franchise reinvented itself again in 2005 with the release of Batman Begins, it became the main inspiration for 2006's Casino Royale. Now, as a whole new cast steps into the iconic roles of the Batman universe, James Bond is in a similar situation looking to cast a new 007. Depending on how well The Batman performs, it may just influence the next incarnation of James Bond.

Next: Everything Revealed About Ben Affleck's Batman Movie Story

Source: Esquire

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