Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe suffered another setback this week as Ben Affleck became the latest director to bail on a DC Films project, with Affleck opting against helming The Batman in order to “find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film.”
With the official announcement came reports that War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is high on the shortlist to take over from Affleck, and now Forbes is reporting that Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) and Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic) are also on the studio’s radar.
SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck’s Batman: The already troubled history of The Batman
Now, it would seem unlikely that Villeneuve will be available, given that he’ll be moving from Blade Runner 2049 to the recently announced Dune, while Gavin O’Connor also has a reboot of The Green Hornet on his slate. George Miller is a name that always pops up in connection with DCEU projects (see Man of Steel 2, Justice League Dark and Green Lantern Corps) and seems to be the go-to-guy when a website is trying to guess a scoop on DC director, while Ross may lack the experience to take on such a massive project.
There’s a good chance this is little more than speculation, but if Warner Bros. is looking to press on with a spring/summer start for The Batman, we should hear some official news very soon. That is unless the rumour that Affleck could also pull out in front of the camera has any merit…
Who would you like to see directing The Batman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
Originally published February 3, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
