Whether or not Ben Affleck will indeed be donning the cape and cowl in The Batman may no longer be a decision Matt Reeves is allowed to make.
In case you missed it, last week, Affleck checked himself into a live-in rehabilitation facility, where the two-time Academy Award winner will spend an “extended period of time” receiving treatment for alcohol addiction. For the actor, who recently turned 46, this will be his third stint in rehab. Although, this time around, his over-drinking may cost him more than just temporary freedom.
According to a new report from The Wrap, WB may be forced to look elsewhere for a Caped Crusader, as insuring a recovering alcoholic may be a tad too pricey. “More than likely the studio will replace him because the insurance costs are going to go through the roof,” a representative for a completion bond company stated.
To add insult to injury, an attorney specializing in insurance and bond products added the following:
“Anytime you have an event that is going to change the risk, you would expect to have an increase in the premium. The greater the risk, the greater the premium. … In the immediate future, this would impact how bondable he is and at what price.”
For those of you who don’t know, a completion bond is a form of insurance which can guarantee a project – in this case, a film – will be completed. However, in the event that the liable party doesn’t fulfill their obligation, it shall result in the repayment of each and every investor. Essentially, “it’s the bond company’s job to evaluate risk and underwrite those risks accordingly to protect themselves.”
The completion bond representative also noted that should Ben Affleck lead The Batman, at a budget of $200 million, “we’re looking at $100 million deductible in escrow purely for the insurance policy on essential elements.”
All in all, Affleck could find someone to put up the collateral for the deductible, much like Robert Downey Jr. did for Iron Man, and look how well that panned out for everyone. That said, the Justice League star would have to pass a medical examination and an on-set drug test, each and every day, which would be administered by a doctor of the insurance company’s choosing.
“Financiers and producers are going to want to see some evidence that his recent round of therapy was effective and that there are going to be some steps taken that he will be sober on his next project. Maybe hiring a sober monitor? Affleck will have to be on his game on his next project.”
While it should be noted that the attorney presented an alternative, in which Affleck can seek out work elsewhere, and garner “a track record” of completing work “without incident,” ultimately lowering the “premium and the cost of the bond,” by that point in time, The Batman would have surely concluded a theatrical run and debuted on home video.