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This is why the Affleck solo Batman movie was cancelled

posted 4 years ago by TMC-4 (20304)
16 replies | jump to latest

https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/this-is-why-affleck-batman-movie-was-cancelled.4599930/

The studio was expecting a GOOD movie lol. Affleck had done Argo and GWH and was trying to establish himself as a serious director/writer. When WB green-lit the project they expected it to be on Argos level or what would later be the jokers level. A critically acclaimed film.

Death stroke was going to be the main villain. He blamed Batman for the death of his son and wanted to break Batman down as revenge. He starts killing people close to Batman like Alfred trying to get Batman to understand his level of pain. He also releases many other villains in Arkham and they also attack Batman. Batman is actually driven insane and spends a lot of time in Arkham Asylum as the villains escape. He starts relating to the villains and feeling guilty about putting some of them away.

It sounded interesting but the finished script was garbage. It was BvS level. Nothing like Argo or what the studio was expecting from the people behind the movie. WB felt catfished and let the team know how unhappy they were with the script.

Affleck was not happy that it was not well received by WB and felt that the script was good enough. He felt like they were treating him like Snyder and destroying his vision for Batman. After some rewrites also were not received well, he dropped out and WB hired Reeves.

This new Batman is very good and is Oscar worthy. It’s more like Zodiac and Seven. Paul Dano plays a serial killer targeting Gotham’s elite. It’s dark and a psychological thriller. It’s more what WB was expecting with the other Batman movie.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (18170) 3 years ago

Killing off Alfred sounds like a huge mistake.

[–] MickyMac (3216) 3 years ago

Like Snyder wanting Batman to get Lois Lane pregnant or be in a permanent relationship and having Superman be like Injustice Superman for the rest of the DCEU.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14658) 3 years ago

"Death stroke was going to be the main villain. He blamed Batman for the death of his son and wanted to break Batman down as revenge." Sounds good. Everything after that sounds like garbage to me.

[–] joej2923 (3093) 3 years ago

I always thought it was a mistake hiring Affleck since he's more of a writer/producer/director. He also has too many other projects so he wouldn't be committed to the Batman franchise. He also wants Oscars and starring in superhero movies won't provide many Oscars.

There has to be a good story from the Batman comics that they can put on the screen.

[–] MickyMac (3216) 3 years ago

Reportedly Affleck didn't want to be Batman anymore after the JL reshoots, how BVS was received, his divorce and rehab, he was advised he would drink himself to death if he did a solo film.

[–] bozo_500 (13275) 3 years ago

damn that wouldve been a perfect mind set to play batman. probably wouldve won an oscar

[–] HarlemEagle42 (18170) 3 years ago

Missed opportunity.

[–] Lord Rake (4509) 3 years ago

No more Affleck as Batman please, too distracting. Suspension of disbelief cannot be engaged with that casting.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8822) 3 years ago

Did you have the same problem with Bale? Or Keaton? Or Kilmer, for that matter?

[–] Lord Rake (4509) 3 years ago

No not at all.

[–] MickyMac (3216) 3 years ago

I feel Batfleck should've been introduced in his own movie not in a team up film.

[–] raymondoz2007 (2098) 3 years ago

Besides all the personal garbage and studio back storys Affleck has. What he did on the screen as batman was fine.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14658) 3 years ago

I thought Affleck was a very good Batman (given the material), and an excellent Bruce Wayne.

[–] hurricane (1963) 3 years ago

I did too.

Though, it's obviously not everything, he always looked the most like how I'd pictured Batman. When I looked at Keaton, he felt too short to be Batman. Christian Bale felt too skinny to me.

Bruce Wayne has to be believable as a billionaire playboy, with an active social/love life. But also believable that he could be a bad-ass. That's hard to get somebody just on look alone that can pull both of those off. But Affleck had that.

Granted that has nothing to do with the actor's performance. But it's a helpful first step.

[–] Goliard (1440) 3 years ago

+1000

This is why the new Batman movie looks so dreadful to me. Just about EVERY movie has leaned hard into the Batman-as-almost-insanely-dark-vigilante idea (which is fairly recent, fwiw). This not only ignores decades of the character's history, it also ignores decades of the (very important) Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy mask that is SO important, and SO intrinsic to the character.

But recency bias has these people caught up.

Ah well.

[–] HorrorMetal (869) 3 years ago

That’s disappointing. I don’t care for some of those alleged story elements, but I thought Affleck was a great Batman and easily my favorite part of this otherwise mediocre film.