Everything We Know About Ben Affleck’s Unmade Batman Movie

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Back in July 2015, after Ben Affleck was chosen to play Batman but before the film came out, Variety announced he was talking about directing, producing, and starring in his own Batman movie. He planned to write the script with Geoff Johns. This solo film was intended to be Affleck’s next directing project after he finished working on Live by Night, a gangster movie that was still being planned. At the time, Batman v Superman and Justice League were already in development.

Following the somewhat divisive reaction to Batman v Superman, Warner Bros. announced at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con that Ben Affleck would direct a solo Batman film (according to The Guardian). This would have been a first for the character – an actor directing themselves in a Batman movie. Affleck, known for critically acclaimed films like The Town and the Best Picture winner Argo, felt prepared for the challenge. He described directing a Batman movie as similar to restaging a classic play, noting the immense pressure that comes with following previous interpretations and meeting the expectations of passionate fans. Despite this, he also found the project deeply inspiring.

In January 2017, Variety announced that Ben Affleck would no longer be directing the Batman movie, though the film was still planned. The following month, Deadline reported that Matt Reeves was hired as the new director and a producer. At that point, it wasn’t certain if Affleck would still star in the movie or if Reeves would find a new actor for the role, but the film was titled The Batman. Chris Terrio, known for writing Argo and contributing to the scripts for Batman v Superman and Justice League, had revised the original draft by Affleck and Johns, and Reeves was expected to build upon Terrio’s work.

When the Justice League movie faced problems – including a change of directors from Zack Snyder to Joss Whedon, negative reviews, and poor box office performance – rumors began that Ben Affleck wouldn’t continue playing Batman. Affleck officially left the role in early 2019, and Matt Reeves decided to start fresh with a completely new Batman story. Reeves, along with writers Peter Craig and Mattson Tomlin, created a script focusing on a younger, less experienced Bruce Wayne battling crime in a reimagined Gotham City. Robert Pattinson was then cast as this new version of the Caped Crusader, portraying Batman in his second year of crime-fighting.

Only the title survived from Ben Affleck’s planned Batman movie. But what was the story going to be, and how would it have connected to the rest of the DC Universe movies?

Deathstroke Would’ve Been A “Horror Movie Villain” In Ben Affleck’s Cancelled Batman Movie

Deathstroke was originally planned as the central villain in Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns’ first draft of The Batman. Joe Manganiello was cast to play the role, and he recently shared details about the planned storyline. The plot would have centered around Deathstroke believing Batman caused his son’s death, leading him on a vengeful rampage targeting everyone Batman cares about. Manganiello described the character as a terrifying, relentless killer – similar to horror icons like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees – who would systematically hunt down Batman’s loved ones. He compared the intended feel of the story to the dark and suspenseful psychological thriller The Game, directed by David Fincher, suggesting it would have been a very intense and grim film.

Snyder loved the story so much he added Manganiello’s Deathstroke to the end of Justice League. He included a scene where Lex Luthor tells Deathstroke Batman’s secret identity, hoping to pave the way for a Batman vs. Deathstroke movie (though the scene was changed slightly in the theatrical release, it was put back in the Snyder Cut). While Reeves later used familiar Batman villains like Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin—with a brief appearance by the Joker—Affleck had planned to feature a unique villain never before seen in a Batman film.

Ben Affleck’s Batman Movie Would’ve Been Set Largely In Arkham Asylum

Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who worked on early plans for Ben Affleck’s Batman movie, revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the film would have been largely set within Arkham Asylum. He explained it would have drawn heavily from the popular Batman: Arkham Asylum video game, where Batman is trapped inside the asylum with his enemies. This would have created a uniquely frightening and intimate experience, contrasting with the larger-scale Batman films like Batman v Superman and The Dark Knight Rises, and allowed for plenty of appearances from classic Batman villains.

Robert Richardson is an award-winning cinematographer—he’s won Best Cinematography three times and has collaborated with renowned directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. His impressive filmography includes titles such as JFK, Kill Bill, Hugo, and Django Unchained. He previously worked with Ben Affleck on Live by Night, and when The Batman project was cancelled, they teamed up for Air instead. It’s intriguing to imagine what Richardson would have created with the shadowy underworld of Arkham Asylum and the dark, atmospheric views of Gotham City.

A new rumor suggests the next Batman film will move away from Gotham City, taking Bruce Wayne on an international adventure reminiscent of James Bond. Honestly, it’s hard to say which idea is more exciting: a Batman movie with globetrotting action, or one set entirely within a creepy, haunted house.

Batfleck Would’ve Teamed Up With Batgirl

As a huge Batman fan, one of the most fascinating things I learned about Ben Affleck’s planned sequel was that it would have featured Batgirl! Now, the last time we saw Batgirl on the big screen in a live-action movie – Batman & Robin – well, let’s just say it didn’t go well. But apparently, Affleck and Geoff Johns’ script for The Batman was building towards a big finale where Batman and Batgirl would team up to take on Deathstroke. Warner Bros. was already working on a solo Batgirl movie, and they actually finished filming it, even after Affleck’s movie plans fell through. It’s crazy – the film was completely shelved by the new studio heads as a tax write-off, which is a real shame.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman was a fantastic reimagining of the character, offering a realistic, detective-focused story with beautiful, atmospheric visuals. However, I’m still hoping Ben Affleck’s planned Batman movie will one day see the light of day. The ideas for that film – including a conflict with Deathstroke, a team-up with Batgirl, and a unique look at Arkham Asylum – all sounded incredibly promising.

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2026-05-18 00:20