Thomas Roach on why Batman may not get a solo movie in the DC Cinematic Universe…
When it was revealed that The Dark Knight would appear in the follow-up to Man of Steel, fans were super excited at the concept of seeing Batman and Superman in the same movie. Ben Affleck’s casting received some backlash, but since then it seems that a lot of people have got over the fact and are happy to give Affleck a chance. However, there’s been no official announcement of a solo Batman movie, so could that mean the character will be restricted to ensemble pieces and supporting roles in the DC Cinematic Universe?
Following Warner’s DC announcement, it was said that solo Batman and Superman movies were being developed, but this was prompted by complaints by fans about the two heroes being absent from the slate. When WB announced its line up through to 2020 their was no mention of a solo Batman film at all. If they were working on it, why would they not announce it? I don’t think a solo Batman film is in development at all. With the DC Cinematic Universe expanding, Batman is becoming less important and characters such as Wonder Woman and Aquaman who have never had solo movies are getting their chance to shine.
A reason why there may not be any solo movies for Batman is because it is too soon after The Dark Knight Trilogy. Fans were blown away by this trilogy and it changed the face of the superhero movie. While it was more grounded realistic than other superhero movies, the latest version of Batman will likely be more faithful to the comic books, and comparisons will be made. Maybe some new Batman movies with Ben Affleck could outdo The Dark Knight Trilogy, but the studio may be unwilling to take this risk.
We also have to remember that this new version of Batman is an established and older character. In this universe being built, Batman has been around for some time, he has learned all his lessons and is a seasoned crime fighter. Solo movies following a perfect Batman may leave fans underwhelmed. We also know that a Suicide Squad movie is happening which contains several iconic Batman villains including the Joker. This version of Batman will have already interacted with his Rogues Gallery on several occasions, so going back would not be useful. Focusing more on Batman as part of the Justice League is better than doing more solo movies.
It is no secret that Ben Affleck’s career went into decline due to some poor movie choices and his personal life being reported on by all the press. The actor was able to turn his career around by becoming a director. Having directed three feature films – Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo – Affleck became an filmmaker director and revitalised his career. Directing seems to be his true calling and now the fact that he has taken on an iconic superhero seems a step backward after all the progress he made. Not that I think that Affleck will be a bad Batman, but I have been really impressed with his directing and want to see a lot more of it. If he is under contract to appear in three-to-six films over the next five years then he wont have time to direct anything. Directing is very time consuming, but so is preparing physically for the role of Batman, appearing in the films, and then promoting them.
I assume Affleck is under contract for a certain amount of films, but this may just be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League Part One and Justice League Part Two. As Affleck had bulked up for the role he may not want to continue doing this when he is pushing 50. So, I’m assuming that Affleck will only play Batman three times, in the movies that have been announced already.
Do you think a solo Batman movie will happen with Ben Affleck? Let us know…
Thomas Roach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z2vq4CudKRk&list=PL18yMRIfoszFJHnpNzqHh6gswQ0Srpi5E
Originally published December 27, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
