Matt Reeves gives details about Ben Affleck’s Batman script

Back in 2014, Warner Bros. went public with their plans of making a Ben Affleck-led standalone Batman project with the script set to be written and directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker. It felt like a strong step in the right direction as Affleck earned major kudos for directing Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo. However, ahead of the release of Justice League in 2017, Affleck stepped down from his directorial duties after nearly three years of developing the film. We know now that Affleck was dealing with personal issues at the time and it didn’t help matters that the making of Justice League came with its own challenges behind the scenes. So what of Ben Affleck’s script? As it turns out, The Batman director Matt Reeves was handed the script before he game on board to take on the Caped Crusader and he’s detailing what that script was all about.

During a recent interview with Esquire Middle East, Reeves got candid about the time Warner Bros. offered him the chance to direct what would become The Batman. He confirms that the studio did give him Affleck’s script and that it originally featured appearances from other DCEU characters. Reeves said, “I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie. It was very action-driven. It was deeply connected to the DCEU, with other major characters from other movies and other comics popping up.”

Reeves admitted that it was an exciting take on the project and that it felt “almost James Bond-ian” in its approach but he decided to reject the script because it wasn’t the story that he personally envisioned for the character. Here is what else Reeves had to say about going in a new direction:

“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. I told them that there have been so many great movies, but if I were to do this, I’d have to make it personal, so that I understood what I was going to do with it, so that I know where to put the camera, so that I know what to tell the actors, so that I know what the story should be. This take, I told them, pointing at the script, is a totally valid and exciting take. It is almost James Bond-ian, but it wasn’t something that I quite related to.”

Reeves has a deep love for the Batman character and when he finally pitched his take to Warner Bros., he expressed that it was surprisingly accepted by the studio:

“So what I’d love to do, if you’re interested, is I’d like to get involved and find a way to take the story and make it very, very personal and get to the place I want him to be, to make it a Batman story and give him the arc, and have the story rock him to his core. It wasn’t going to be another origin story, not with Ben already in the character. But that’s what I would do…And to my utter shock and surprise, they said, ‘you know what, we really would like you to do this. And we will wait.’”

What I love about Reeves talking about Ben Affleck’s Batman script is that there is no bashing to be found here. He respected the take that he wanted to take and admits that it was exciting but it just wasn’t what he saw for the character if he was to take this on. I’m curious to know what Affleck’s script was really all about but that might just remain one of those Hollywood secrets.

Per the film’s official synopsis, “It’s not just a call… It’s a warning. From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”

What are YOUR thoughts on Matt Reeves revealing details of Ben Affleck’s Batman script? The Batman hits screens on March 4, 2022.