Director Matt Reeves’ The Batman was originally intended by Warner Bros. to be the start of a new cinematic franchise within the DCEU. Initially, The Batman was envisioned as part of the DCEU, taking place in the same universe as Peacemaker, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. It would have been the first Batman solo film for Ben Affleck, who previously appeared in Batman v. Superman and Justice League. However, the film ultimately cast new actors to play new versions of beloved DC characters, including Robert Pattinson as the Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.
The DCEU’s original plans never came to fruition as The Batman distanced itself from Affleck’s version of the character. Instead, Pattinson played a young Batman in his second year of fighting crime; a sharp contrast to Ben Affleck’s seasoned, brawnier version of the Caped Crusader. With Warner Bros. proving to be disinterested in the versions of Batman and Superman that Zack Snyder introduced, the world may never see the original DCEU Batman movie. Nevertheless, it has always been fascinating to have a look at what could have been. Let us dive into the original DCEU plans for The Batman.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Who Was Involved in the DCEU Version of The Batman?
Warner Bros. Pictures
At one point, Batman himself, Ben Affleck, was set to direct, produce, write, and star in The Batman. In early 2016, he finished writing the script for the film with DC Comics writer, Geoff Johns. Batman v. Superman and Justice League writer, Chris Terrio, rewrote the script in January 2017. As development for the film progressed, Affleck stepped down from directorial duties, but remained as a producer and the lead actor. With the director’s seat being unfilled, Warner Bros. hired Matt Reeves as the new director for The Batman. According to a report from Esquire, Reeves found Affleck’s script to be a “totally valid take,” but was not interested in making that version of the movie. This difference in creative vision led to The Batman becoming essentially an entirely new film. However, the film title of The Batman was initially attached to Ben Affleck’s version of the movie. In the DCEU version of The Batman, Jeremy Irons would have returned to play Alfred Pennyworth and Joe Manganiello would have played Deathstroke.
Plot: What The Batman Was Originally About
The first draft for the DCEU version of The Batman took place after the events of Batman v. Superman and Justice League. In the theatrical cut of Justice League, Slade Wilson a.k.a. Deathstroke, was recruited by Lex Luthor to join a team of super villains. However, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Lex Luthor revealed to Wilson that Batman was Bruce Wayne. The DCEU version of The Batman had Deathstroke blaming Batman for his son’s death. Having discovered Batman’s secret identity, Deathstroke would have wreaked havoc on Bruce Wayne’s life. Actor Joe Manganiello discussed his character’s role in an episode of the ComicBook Nation podcast;
Robert Richardson, who was a cinematographer on the film, revealed that Arkham Asylum was the primary location of the movie. The film involved Deathstroke orchestrating a breakout at Arkham to keep Batman busy. Manganiello also shared with ComicBook Nation that there would have been a “huge showdown” at the end of the film. After Batman realized he had met his match, Batgirl would have arrived to help the Caped Crusader in the streets of Gotham. Esquire reported Matt Reeves describing this version of the movie as being very action driven and “very deeply connected to the DCEU.”
So, now he’s setting loose this unstoppable force on Gotham City and Bruce Wayne and the Batman film was going to be kind of similar to like, you know, imagine if David Fincher’s The Game was real. [He] systematically dismantles Bruce’s life and starts murdering all the people in it. And destroy his finances and just basically paints him into a corner.
Why Did Matt Reeves Choose to Reboot The Batman?
Warner Bros.
When director Matt Reeves was in discussions with Warner Bros. to direct The Batman, he was in the middle of working on 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. Despite War featuring CG-apes engaged in a war with humans, Reeves managed to tell an emotional story that surprisingly felt grounded. With The Batman, Reeves once again told an emotional story and tried to make the world of the superhero film feel as grounded as possible. Planet of the Apes actor Andy Serkis and composer Michael Giacchino joined Reeves as the director shifted his attention from apes to the DC superhero.
Fans of Affleck’s version of Batman were saddened to hear that Reeves had chosen to reboot the character without Affleck’s involvement. After all, Affleck was never given the chance to appear in a proper Batman film. But Affleck was not the right actor for the movie Reeves wanted to make. Matt Reeves wanted to tell the story of a struggling young Batman in a more grounded universe. Affleck’s script featured an experienced Batman in his 40s, set in a universe with magic and aliens. While Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne was in his second year of fighting crime, Affleck’s Bruce had around two decades of experience under his belt. Thus, it was decided by Warner Bros. that the slate would be wiped clean for Reeves to tell the story that he wanted to tell. Unfortunately, it meant losing the DCEU Batman movie which had a lot of potential. It would have been great to see both Affleck’s and Reeves’ Batman films get made.
