Will Zack Snyder's Justice League incorporate unused ideas originally intended for Ben Affleck's Batman movie? When Ben Affleck was first announced as Christian Bale's caped successor, skepticism among DC fans was high, even compared to Batman casting controversies of yore. While Batman V Superman proved a highly divisive take on the comic book icon, Affleck went some way towards proving the doubters wrong, banishing lingering memories from his ill-fated stint as Marvel's Daredevil. The DCEU had big plans for Affleck's Batman, but the actor would wear the famous cowl only once more before a replacement was found.
Affleck returned in the 2017 theatrical release of Justice League - a film credited to Zack Snyder but shaped by Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. through extensive reshoots and cuts. Fans campaigned to revive Snyder's authentic Justice League and their efforts finally paid off in 2020, with Zack Snyder's Justice League slated for a HBO Max release. This 4-hour superhero marathon promises a completely different experience, and offers a reprieve for Ben Affleck, whose time in the DCEU has been far from smooth.
Following Justice League, Affleck was lined up for his first proper solo movie, The Batman, which he would both star in and direct. Matt Reeves was drafted in soon after, allowing Affleck to focus solely on playing Bruce Wayne, but in 2019, the actor left Batman behind completely to address personal issues. The Batman is now an entirely different movie, starring Robert Pattinson in the title role and set outside of the DCEU. Despite missing the boat with The Batman, Affleck's superhero renaissance looks set for an unexpected continuation thanks to Zack Snyder's Justice League.
What Ben Affleck's Batman Movie Looked Like (Before Pattinson)
Part of the reason Ben Affleck yielded The Batman's directorial duties to Matt Reeves was, according to reports, difficulty nailing the script. But while the story might remain incomplete, it's possible to form a rough idea of what The Batman would've looked like had the DCEU not changed course.
Deathstroke was confirmed as The Batman's main villain in 2016, with Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike, True Blood) portraying the deadly assassin. As a prelude to his clash with the Dark Knight, Manganiello appeared in the post-credits scene of Justice League, conspiring alongside Lex Luthor and explicitly setting up an Injustice League collaboration. Slade Wilson was expected to depart Luthor's yacht, make his way to Gotham City, and trouble Affleck's veteran vigilante in a tantalizing clash between two ruthless, well-trained fighting machines.
Adding to the drama, Manganiello's Deathstroke would've discovered Batman was actually the famous Bruce Wayne and used this revelation to his advantage. This tip-off likely came from Luthor, since Jesse Eisenberg's villain already ascertained Batman's secret as part of his Batman V Superman plot. Manganiello has kindly explained in interviews that the basic premise of The Batman was for Deathstroke to be harboring a personal vendetta against Batman, and after uncovering his nemesis' double life, he'd embark on a crusade to dismantle Bruce from the ground up, systematically targeting everyone he loved in a David Fincher-style psychological thriller.
How Justice League Teases Affleck's Original Batman Plans
Those plans obviously fell through, and The Batman will now pit Robert Pattinson against The Riddler in a highly-anticipated neo-noir effort. But while the original Deathstroke angle looked to have been abandoned, Zack Snyder apparently had other ideas. Joe Manganiello's return was confirmed when the actor posted images of Slade's new mohawk hairstyle, and official shots soon followed revealing the actor in full Deathstroke regalia. Slade will form part of the Snyder cut's Knightmare timeline, which will finally resurface in Zack Snyder's Justice League.
In a new Batman-centric teaser trailer, Lex Luthor's voice can be heard chiming "if you want the Batman, here is something that can help you..." The footage is accompanied by the caption "his name is Bruce Wayne," which, logically speaking, must be the second half of Luthor's quote. And the mystery character Luthor shares Batman's identity with is very likely Deathstroke. Not only does Slade Wilson "want" the Batman, but learning the secret from Luthor aligns with Justice League's post-credits scene.
Putting the pieces together, it seems Lex Luthor tells Deathstroke about Batman's secret, setting the mercenary on a warpath against Bruce Wayne in the post-apocalyptic Knightmare future. Broadly speaking, this is exactly what was supposed to happen in The Batman before Affleck's DC departure. While it's unrealistic to expect the DCEU's entire Batman vs. Deathstroke plot to be crammed into Zack Snyder's Justice League (although, 4 hours...), the Snyder cut might give fans a taste of what they could've had before The Batman switched gears.
Ben Affleck's Future In The DCEU With Deathstroke
As if finally getting the fabled Snyder cut wasn't enough for Batfleck fans, the DCEU's aging Caped Crusader has since been confirmed for a proper return alongside Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton (!) in 2022's The Flash. At the time of writing, Zack Snyder insists that Warner Bros. has no interest in any potential sequel to his Justice League, which means The Flash will be left to mop up Batman's DCEU arc. Bruce Wayne has already overcome his fear of socializing by founding the Justice League, but The Flash can fully resolve his guilt over Robin's death, perhaps by introducing the Dick Grayson from Keaton's universe for some sorely needed closure.
But if Zack Snyder's Justice League is recycling elements from Affleck's dropped solo movie, Batman's DCEU journey could extend beyond The Flash. The Snyder cut will likely end on a huge Darkseid cliffhanger, and calls for a sequel are virtually inevitable, potentially leading to a separate DCEU continuity on HBO Max that follows Snyder's original vision. If the Batman vs. Deathstroke storyline in Zack Snyder's Justice League proves popular enough, Justice League 2 could quickly lead into The Batman ver. 1.0
Warner Bros. may hesitate to juggle Affleck and Pattinson as two simultaneous Batmen, especially since the latter's debut is rapidly becoming one of the most hotly anticipated superhero movies in recent memory. But not so long ago, the Snyder cut itself looked like a desperate pipe dream. If the HBO Max release of Zack Snyder's Justice League proves wildly successful and there's money to be made, the 4-hour epic could cause a domino effect that eventually leads to the original DCEU plan being realized in full, complete with Ben Affleck's Batman facing off against Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke in the brutal feature-length showdown they were meant to have.
