Before that, let’s talk more about this film first (read on to find out more). For those living under a rock, here’s a thing- if you somehow still believe that the next Batman is going to be directed by Christopher Nolan, and stars Christian Bale, it’s sad to say they are not returning this time around. Please don’t cry, even though we have to kinda agree that Christopher Nolan helped bring this franchise to the mainstream, and made us care again about Batman, and believe in grounded, serious superhero movies in the first place. With both stars officially leaving the world of DC, it seems like expectations are just unrealistically high at the moment. And Warner Bros. has to be worried. They have to ensure that the next Batman isn’t going to be a let-down. Unlike Superman, which really does not need to do much in order to beat Superman Returns, thus bringing us the controversial Man of Steel, Batman is an entirely different beast altogether- he is the very definition of a quality superhero franchise, one which is deemed as an inspiration for many other studios today. Batman was one of the pioneers of the ‘superhero on the big screen’ concept, having a history dating back to 1966. That’s close to 50 years ago. And in terms of Hollywood standards, lets just say that that is way longer than any movie franchise today can dream of. I mean, won’t it be great if Transformers gets to have a 50 year history on the big screen? (SPOILER: Just kidding, it won’t). Just like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, Batman has got to find someone who is reliable at the helm, someone who can bring across quality entertainment that is entirely on the next level.
The next Batman film is going to be part of the brand new DC Movie Universe, one which is relatively new, its inception merely occurring only 2 years ago, with the above stated Man of Steel (BTW, inception doesn’t mean dream inside a dream inside a dream, if you’re wondering). Zack Snyder is more or less the Joss Whedon of DC- he’s in charge of helming the DC universe, not unlike what Whedon did for Marvel’s Phase 2. He didn’t really do a good job, though- Man of Steel is deemed by some inferior to Superman Returns, with a highly controversial and constantly debated about ending, which although is more grounded, and similar in tone to the Batman trilogy, still ended up being a weak franchise starter in general. However, he certainly is going to have his redemption, by unleashing upon us Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice March next year, which is certainly set to leave a huge mark on the box office. Of course, that’s also going to be the first of several films Batman is set to pop up in before headlining his solo Batman movie. That’s nothing like how Marvel did it initially, planning to introduce all the characters first (don’t blame me, but I have always found DC’s character more recognizable than Marvel’s, apart from Spiderman) before bringing them together in a superhero team-up. DC is going with a more bold approach here, putting quite a large portion of the future Justice League team-up into the Batman V Superman, hoping on banking on their popularity among moviegoers in general (who doesn’t know Batman, or Wonder Woman, or Aquaman? At least you should have heard of Cyborg, and Green Lantern as well). It’s not like Batman hasn’t been receiving lots of attention prior- it has appeared in a countless amount of films, which although standing on their own two feet, should have told us the tale of why Bruce Wayne became the persona he is today several times. Batman is going to be part of an action-packed sequence in Suicide Squad too, and appear in Justice League before appearing in his own film.
When Ben Affleck was first cast as the new Batman, many rolled their eyes. Perhaps some rolled around the floor with their bellies too, laughing profusely. Whatever it is, it wasn’t Ryan Gosling, or Josh Brolin, like previously speculated. Instead, it’s a man who once played Daredevil, criticized over and over, leaving him crawling around desperately before becoming the Oscar-darling he is today. Ben Affleck has definitely improved over the years, with his acting skills in Gone Girl etc., while he has definitely sharpened his directorial skills too, with critic- favorites like Argo, Gone Baby Gone, and The Town. However, many were wondering- how was he possibly fit to play such a role, when his physique didn’t even match either? The controversy was so bad that even Affleck himself confessed to hiding away from the internet all day long upon the official announcement, afraid to face the backlash (he couldn’t resist after a while, though)
Of course, harsh words have mostly subsided now, when the first trailer released. Instead, his portrayal of Batman (including his costume) is considered one which greatly resembles that of the comics, and he is now viewed by some as a ideal choice. That’s great, but it looks like DC’s ulterior motive has finally been revealed, just a day before DC’s comic-con appearance- he is going to helm the next Batman. There have been various signs for months now. He brought along his Argo screenwriter, Chris Terrio, to pen the screenplay with David S. Goyer, who you will probably remember as the man who wrote almost every DC movie in recent memory. That’s a sign of long-term dedication to the franchise, for he is also set to write a screenplay for the two-part Justice League team-up. Of course, that might be due to Affleck being signed on for an unspecified number of appearances, but it’s definitely clear now- they are here to stay. This move will definitely be viewed with lots of praise- Ben Affleck has been a proven talent behind the camera, one which he is consistently praised over, more so than his acting career. Therefore, it is a fantastic move by DC- after all, how else can you stand up against Christopher Nolan than bringing in an established Oscar hot favorite?
Of course, that’s not all. Why would you expect things to end just like that? Anyways, he is also co-writing the script for the next Batman film with Geoff Johns. So, who’s Geoff Johns? He’s the chief creative officer at DC comics since 2010. Oh, and before that, he was responsible for rebooting the likes of Green Lantern, Superman, Aquaman and The Flash within the comic universe. He knows his work, simply. This only makes the prospects more enticing- this alone will make you realize that the Batman reboot is something more, and will potentially have a brand new origin story which is fresh, while introducing what the writer is best at- new concepts. Even if they don’t reboot it all over again- after all, this version is following an aged Batman who has kind of retired, unlike the vengeance filled newbie Christian Bale played in Batman Begins-, exploration of brand new stories will definitely be interesting. After all, he writes brand new stories for DC, so why can’t he create a brand new original storyline solely for the films? Remember, Ben Affleck is also great at this craft- watch The Town to figure out what I’m talking about. We have two brains who are hungry for brand new ideas, but lets think again before getting too excited- most people will object to this. After all, it’s a superhero movie, and they want to fill nostalgia upon watching this. They want an adaptation, not an original.
Whatever it is, don’t expect this film to pop up so soon- he has to wrap up his next film project first, Live by Night, releasing October 2016. Apparently, the next Batman film will be a follow-up to his Justice League, Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad appearances. Even though Suicide Squad will introduce yet another Joker played by Jared Leto, I sincerely hope that he won’t be the big villain of Batman- he might be one of the most memorable villains of all time, and Jared Leto’s portrayal might be wildly different, but I think it’s time to introduce someone else into the mix. Someone who hasn’t seen the big screen as much. Regardless, get your engines rolling- Batman will come sooner than you think, before 2020. (Okay, fine, keep it still for a bit, its a long ride ahead).
Affleck’s version of Batman will make his debut in next March’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, so you have to wait before then to judge whether Ben Affleck will become the next ‘perfect’ Batman. Until then, we can only seat back and wait for the next trailer to launch. Just a disclaimer though- even though many sites have reported this, this is probably just a claim- if tomorrow’s Comic-Con appearance by DC contradicts this article, this article will be irrelevant ASAP. However, I don’t think most will publish such wild claims with so much media attention- the prospects of this being ‘false’ are real low.
And to build up your anticipation further, here’s your Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer again. Nothing new, it’s the old one, but if a new one launches during Comic-Con, I promise it’s coming up here.
Box Office Frontier 