Exciting times are ahead for comic book/DC fans. Major projects ranging from film, TV, and video games are stacking up the next two years. The Snyder Cut is set to release early next year, DCEU projects advancing/rebuilding the universe, a dive into a cinematic multiverse with The Flash - starring Ben Affleck and major fan-favorite Michael Keaton's Batman - and Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson's The Batman finally revealing a trailer and further shattering the Internet.
With all this, DC FanDome provided a loving, fan-catered experience as a platform to build up this hype. And with Ben Affleck making a return in some kind of capacity as Batman, another Bat-related opportunity presents itself beyond The Flash. The time could soon be right for Ben Affleck to get his deserved chance at redemption, so here's why a Batfleck TV series could easily work.
HBO Max
HBO's streaming service is in its infancy and looking to compete with the likes of heavy-hitters Netflix and Disney+, and with HBO being owned by Warner, who also owns DC, it's the premier streaming platform of DC content like Disney+ with Marvel. They're going to need to stack up a strong lineup with great creative talent to ensure high-quality content, and a Ben Affleck Batman series could instill a great deal of promise long-term.
A Batman-centered HBO series has always seemed like a tantalizing prospect from a fan-speculation perspective well before all these developments, but now is a golden chance to make that a reality. Daredevil on Netflix showed that grounded superhero TV can be masterfully done with HBO/Netflix-level creative liberties, so Batman could be well executed also.
The Clone Wars/Rebels Treatment
While obviously not exactly the same situations, the early DCEU films faced similar issues that the Star Wars prequel trilogy faced in meeting intense backlash. Fans will clearly give you separate reasons for each, but Star Wars had a semi-remedy that DC could take advantage of. With the prequels, The Clone Wars and Rebels acclaimed animated Star Wars shows seemed to retroactively improve upon the material they stem from.
Those series provided extra and much-needed context and depth that made fans go back and appreciate what the preceding movies were intending, showing them what they were previously only briefly told in a short time. DC could do this with Batman in a TV series to give direct insight for his character in BvS and Justice League - though the latter will hopefully get notable improvement with ZSJL also.
Continued Arc
Another major and obvious reason for having a Batfleck series is to properly conclude his arc. Unfortunately, the one-two punch of the backlash-reception to Batman v Superman and the abrupt director-swap and subsequent narrative gutting in (and by) Joss Whedon's Justice League, the DCEU's future was in turmoil and Affleck initially retired the cape and cowl due to understandable personal reasons.
But now with Ben officially returning in 2022's The Flash, the stage is set for more going forward. Apparently, that movie is set to only have him in a cameo-level capacity, but that's all that's needed to open the door for a proper, fleshed-out, and continued focus to his Batman's arc post-JL.
High-Note Ending
Piggybacking off the last point, a Ben Affleck-led Batman series is the best way to give him and his iteration of the superhero a proper sendoff. Turbulent beginnings didn't give the top-class actor/director/writer a fair shake at finishing and fleshing out what was started. If nothing else, as long as a potential TV show is well done, this could be Ben's swan song in closing out his Batman tenure.
No longer would he be remembered as solely being Batman in a pair of controversially-received and produced movies, but as coming into his own in a Bat-centric project that's effectively, deeply-exploring him and not rushing at breakneck speed to be part of and set up the next big crossover event. The spotlight would be even more so on Affleck/Batman and given the necessary time in the oven.
A Death In The Family
Batman v Superman's biggest complaint was presenting a Batman that ruthlessly killed his enemies with little-to-no remorse. Every major live-action Batman movie, even Burton and Nolan's, unfortunately, had the superhero breaking his popularized fundamental rule that's a core aspect of who he is and what sets him apart from most. The distinction here, though, is the aforementioned and unapologetic ruthlessness and how immediately they were given to this Batman.
On paper, it could be a fascinating way to explore a Batman grieving Robin's murder, as briefly touched on in BvS. But there was little time to breathe as, even though there were three years between Man of Steel and BvS, the latter was the first time seeing Batman, making it incredibly jarring for some fans. Having A Death in the Family-inspired could give that necessarily-explored context and a chance to show Joke - though Leto's will need reworking.
Won't Clash With Theatrical Batman
The solo Batman theatrical film originally having him attached naturally needed to be filled in the meantime. Matt Reeves is now directing/writing along with Robert Pattinson in the lead role. Reports when Affleck was announced to return said that WB/DC are on the same page with how they're approaching the superhero in their multiverse.
Reeves/Pattinson's Batman will be the face of the character theatrically for the foreseeable future, while still doing Batfleck justice. His smaller role in The Flash could be a great re-introduction and a series would do well to give him deserved focus, while not cannibalizing what's happening theatrically. A classic case of having your cake and eating it, too.
Limited Series
A potential roadblock to a series is getting Ben to commit to a long-form project on top of the other projects he intends to undertake. Given his directing/acting/writing talents, he'll want other work. That's why having a single-season-long limited/miniseries could be the perfect remedy to this.
Affleck wouldn't have to take too much time out of his schedule and it's still longer form than any movie could realistically be. A five-episode-long series, each clocking at an hour, could easily be a better deal than a single 2.5-hour-long Batfleck movie. Plus, HBO has already had success with limited series with the likes of Watchmen.
Affleck's Original Plot
TV could give Affleck's original script a new lease on life. This would've taken place after BvS/JL, with reports suggesting the plot centered around Arkham Asylum and Deathstroke as the main supervillain. The plot sounded fascinating, allegedly being focusing on Deathstroke orchestrating a mass Arkham breakout to wear Batman down and strike the final blow.
It sounds like a compelling premise, taking clear inspiration from Knightfall and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, along with Rocksteady's Arkham Asylum video game. A 4-6 hour series could hypothetically make better use out of this than a single movie lasting two hours, spending more time in the Asylum.
2 Limited Series
A way to have the best of both worlds is to simply have two separate series. The A Death in the Family-inspiration would naturally serve as a prequel to the Knightfall/Asylum-inspiration, and if both series are 4-6 episodes/hours long, it wouldn't be a gargantuan task like having a Game of Thrones-length series.
These formats would give proper due to Affleck's Batman by filling in the gaps pre-BvS and post-JL, and also bringing his overall arc to a satisfying conclusion with all the crucial visual depth/context effectively explored.
Affleck Writing/Directing
Among the biggest selling points of Ben Affleck's original film was that he'd also write and direct - a mouth-watering proposition given his work on The Town and Argo. Having him return for a series could, at least in part, see him return in these creative capacities while starring.
To avoid overbearing workloads, he could be one of a few writers attached and direct 1-3 episodes in series lasting 4-6 episodes. This would allow Affleck to flex even more of his creative muscles as originally planned while having other great creatives collaborating and not overfilling Ben's plate.