Nearly a decade ago, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DC Extended Universe. And shortly thereafter, Affleck was slated to co-write, produce, direct, and star in The Batman. However, Affleck ultimately stepped down from his role as director, and eventually left the project altogether. But there was a time when director Matt Reeves was approached to helm Affleck’s script before he went in his own direction. In a new interview with Esquire, Reeves revealed why he decided to reboot The Batman instead of following Affleck’s vision. Matt Reeves reveals.
“I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie,” noted Reeves. “It was very action driven. It was very deeply connected to the DCEU, with other major characters from other movies and other comics popping up. I just knew that when I read it this particular script was not the way I’d want to do it.”
“I said look, I think maybe I’m not the person for this,” added Reeves. “And I explained to them why I love this character. I told them that there have been so many great movies, but if I were to do this, I’d have to make it personal, so that I understood what I was going to do with it, so that I know where to put the camera, so that I know what to tell the actors, so that I know what the story should be.”
RELATED: ‘Unmask the Truth’ In The Batman’s Latest Poster
“This take, I told them, pointing at the script, is a totally valid and exciting take,” continued Reeves. “It is almost James Bond-ian, but it wasn’t something that I quite related to. ‘So what I’d love to do, if you’re interested, is I’d like to get involved and find a way to take the story and make it very, very personal and get to the place I want him to be, to make it a Batman story and give him the arc, and have the story rock him to his core.’ It wasn’t going to be another origin story, not with Ben already in the character. But that’s what I would do.”
When Affleck dropped out of the leading role, Reeves decided to cast Robert Pattinson as the new Batman and set his story in the Dark Knight’s second year. The Batman will also be completely separate from the DC Extended Universe. But it will have some HBO Max spinoff series featuring The Penguin and Gotham PD.
The Batman will hit theaters on Friday, March 4.
Would you have preferred to see Affleck’s version of The Batman? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credits: Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic via GettyImages
Recommended Reading: Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
