The Batman director Matt Reeves has shared some details on Ben Affleck's abandoned Batman movie. When Affleck signed on to play Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Warner Bros. had long-term plans for the actor as Affleck was set to write, direct and star in a solo Batman movie. Development began and the studio even released a video revealing Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, as the film's main villain.
Affleck stepped down from directing the film in early 2017, and though he was still set to star in the project he would eventually leave the role after the difficult Justice League reshoots and the actor admitting he was not feeling the drive to make the movie. Before Affleck officially departed the project entirely, he was still set to star in the movie and Warner Bros.
"I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie. 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'. And I explained to them why I love this character.
Since the project fell apart, details have come out about Affleck's Batman plans. It was partially inspired by the popular Arkham Asylum video games and Manganiello revealed Deathstroke would kill a famous Batman character. It was also hinted that the film would introduce Batgirl, a concept the studio has seemed to rework with the upcoming HBO Max Batgirl film which will feature Batman, but instead of Affleck, it is Michael Keaton under the cowl.
Reeves comparing Affleck's Batman to James Bond hints at a cultural tie between the two franchises. The point of comparison is likely Affleck's script had a lot of gadget-based action like the Bond films are famous for. Batman and James Bond both exploded into popularity in the 1960s, and 1995 saw the release of both Batman Forever and Goldeneye, which were both attempts to reinvent their franchises.
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No matter what anyone says about a Comicbook. If it was action heavy I think it would make a really cool animated film.