It’s got to the point now where, quite literally, a day can’t go by without Ben Affleck being asked the same old questions about The Batman, with his comments often conflicting with reports from the previous day. And today is no exception!
Let’s get up to speed: Warner Bros. is pushing for The Batman to start production in the Spring, while Affleck has said on a number of occasions that he’s not quite finished with the script – even going as far as to suggest last week that he would pull out of directing if he wasn’t satisfied that the screenplay was as good as it could be.
This week, a rumour surfaced claiming that Warner Bros. had decided to push back production on the Dark Knight solo movie to the summer, and that Affleck could potentially be looking to bail on the DC Extended Universe. He then shot this down the following day, confirming that he is 100% on board, and now he’s been chatting to USA Today about the pressure of directing such a major project, during which he’s suggested once again that he may not do it after all.
“Superhero movies get the level of attention that is nothing like any film I’ve done,” said Affleck. “You cast the 14th lead in these movies and the Internet goes crazy. I understand and embrace that. That’s part of the pressure that comes with doing it. That’s why I am not going to do it, unless I really feel confident about it… But when that day comes, should that day come, I’m sure that’s going to be the most pressure, the most stress I have ever experienced in my professional life. There’s no doubt.”
So, the saga rolls on, but it seems pretty clear that Affleck is started to get a little frustrated by having to answer the same questions over and over, particularly while he’s trying to promote his new movie Live By Night. Let’s hope he gets some time to concentrate on putting the finishes touches to his script, as it he does opt against it, Warner Bros. is going to be left with a major, Bat-sized hole in the DCEU…
Originally published January 13, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
