Ten years ago who would’ve predicted that Warner Bros.’ biggest superhero franchises would be Wonder Woman and Aquaman? Yet with James Wan’s recent effort having surpassed The Dark Knight Rises as the highest grossing DC movie, that’s where we are. Superheroes have never been more popular, and yet Warner Bros. and DC seem unable to get a solo Superman pic off the ground due to Henry Cavill’s contractual issues and Matt Reeves’ The Batman seems locked in development hell as we endlessly debate whether Ben Affleck has hung up the cape and cowl for good.
All that means The Hollywood Reporter’s interview with Reeves comes at the perfect moment, with fans dying to know the answer of how and when we’ll see Batman back on screen. And thankfully, the director was happy to spill quite a bit, revealing that it’ll be a noir story of sorts.
It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale. It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.
Reeves then went on to confirm that the casting process for the movie will begin shortly. He’s still working on the script (with The Batman being a working title for now), but hopefully, conceptual work will start soon.
We haven’t been dated. I wouldn’t commit to this, but we’re thinking the movie would probably be for 2021, late spring or summer. Warner Bros. has been incredibly supportive and given me a lot of time and shared the same passion that I do for this story.
Sadly, the elephant in the room – whether Ben Affleck will be playing Batman/Bruce Wayne – wasn’t addressed at any point in the interview. And that’s probably because there simply isn’t a concrete answer right now.
For a long time, it seemed like a dead cert that Affleck was done with the role after he checked into an addiction treatment centre. But since then, he seems to be healthier and in a better place and was even seen meeting with Warner Bros. executives late last year. Despite the constant rumors that The Batman will focus on a younger and more marketable version of the hero, I’d still like to see Affleck given a chance to shine in a movie that concentrates on the Dark Knight alone rather than having him as part of an ensemble cast. But unfortunately, I’m not the one making the decisions.