With 2017 now upon us, fans are hoping that the DC Extended Universe will finally find itself on the right track. A rough 2016 produced Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, two films that ultimately left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. Thankfully, then, we’ve got a lot to look forward to over the next 12 months, as the studio will be bringing us both Wonder Woman and Justice League, which will hopefully go a long way in redeeming their cinematic universe.
Perhaps the one film though that most people are placing their hopes on is Ben Affleck’s The Batman. For all its flaws, Dawn of Justice did still feature a small handful of things to like, one of which was Big Ben’s performance as the iconic hero. It won over fans everywhere and as such, anticipation is high to see what he’s going to do with the character’s solo outing.
With a 2018 release date looking likely, and Joe Manganiello already on board to play Deathstroke, everything is moving along smoothly for the film. Or at least, that’s what we thought. Putting paid to that idea is Affleck himself, who in a recent interview with The Guardian revealed that The Batman “is not a set thing”:
“It’s not a set thing and there’s no script. If it doesn’t come together in a way I think is really great I’m not going to do it,” said the actor.
While far from a reason to sound the alarm, Affleck’s comment here is definitely a bit concerning. After all, with production on the film set to begin this spring, you’d think that he’d be a bit more confident about the project at this point. He’s stated in the past that he’s not going to put out something he’s not happy with no matter how much pressure or money he receives from the studio, but given that he has almost complete creative control on The Batman, we figured everything would move along just fine. Could there be problems brewing behind the scenes between Affleck and DC?
If we had to guess, the above quote is probably just the actor/director/writer’s way of re-iterating that if he’s going to make The Batman, he’s going to do it his way and how he wants to, with no compromises. While Warner Bros. may not agree with all of his decisions, they also can’t afford to have the project fall apart or receive any kind of negative buzz. Their plans for the DCEU hinge heavily on it and it’s beyond important that the film is a hit with fans. As such, we imagine that anything Affleck wants, he’ll get.
Still, like we said above, it’s definitely odd to hear what seems like a lack of confidence in the project so close to the production start date, and we’re really hoping that it doesn’t signal any trouble for The Batman.
Tell us, do you think there’s anything to worry about in regards to what Affleck’s told The Guardian? Sound off in the usual place with your thoughts!