Though there are a lot of talented folks involved with the DCEU, the one that has the most faith behind him seems to be Ben Affleck. The Oscar-winner has experienced a bit of a comeback with his directorial efforts, like THE TOWN and ARGO, and completely crushed the naysayers with a brutal kick to the face as Batman in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN. So obviously folks have a lot of questions for him when it comes to the solo BATMAN movie, but he's keeping his answers as casual as ever.
During an interview with The New York Times for Facebook while promoting his new movie, LIVE BY NIGHT, Affleck was asked about the process of writing and directing the upcoming solo BATMAN movie, responding by saying they “still have to get a screenplay and get it together.” The interviewer Chip McGrath then probed deeper, thinking Affleck was writing the movie himself, with the star replying:
I am, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be good. [Laughs] I’m a real believer in not doing, not reverse engineering projects to meet a window or a date, but rather like when you get the right story or you get the right idea or you get the right thing, then you make the movie. And so that’s what we’re doing, and I’m hoping to get that done and spending a lot of time on that, but I’m also working on other stuff. And if I could, if I can find it right then there’s nothing I’d love more than to direct a standalone, you know, iconic great Batman movie.
This comes hot on the heels of a story saying that JUSTICE LEAGUE 2 was being delayed to make room for BATMAN, while two months ago word was that the film was around “a year and half” away. There’s nothing to really solidify if the delay in LEAGUE for BATMAN is a result of production on the latter going slower than anticipated (though they do have the villain), or if it’s just classic studio reshuffling, but Affleck’s words could hint to more of the former.
However, that’s probably a good thing. It would be a mistake to rush a solo BATMAN movie, even after the iteration of the character in BVS received high praise. Affleck appears to want to take his time with the movie so it’s the best it can be, not wanting to sacrifice quality for a speedy production. Plus, we will see Affleck’s Batman in JUSTICE LEAGUE next year, so there’s no rush to get him back up on the big screen. I mean, the man isn’t a machine. The guy is already busy planning several surprise parties for Matt Damon as it is!
Ben Affleck's LIVE BY NIGHT has limited engagements on December 25, and we will see him don the cowl again November 17, 2017.