More Trouble in Gotham: Affleck’s Script Scrapped

Batman can’t seem to catch a break. First his parents are killed in front of him, then Joel Schumacher gives him bat-nipples, now his first standalone movie since 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises appears to be in serious jeopardy. Ben Affleck, who appeared as an aged Caped Crusader in the much-maligned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and was supposedly penning the script (with DC’s Geoff Johns) for a solo movie titled The Batman that he would also direct, already dropped out as director and now his screenplay has been unceremoniously tossed in the trash like a bent batarang, as well.

Until recently, it was believed that Affleck & Johns were the sole scribes behind the elder Batman’s new big screen adventure, but Forbes has revealed that Chris Terrio, whose Argo script snagged an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, did a rewrite on it, only to have that rewrite scrapped altogether. Apparently, with the arrival of Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) as the presumed new director, the studio is looking to start fresh with an all new creative team, including screenwriter(s). A tallented writer in his own right, Reeves may even end up penning the script  himself.

As for Affleck, he is still attached to star in the The Batman, at least for now. Even if the studio plans on ditching him and going in another direction, possibly back to a less-angry, less-grizzled Batman in his fighting prime, it’s unlikely Warner Bros. will make an announcement of such a move considering they are promoting Affleck’s Batman as the leader of this year’s superhero team-up movie Justice League. The studio really can’t afford for this movie to bomb so any more negative press about Bat-fleck would really be counter to their interests. Of course, it seems as if anything’s possible at Warner Bros. these days so we’ll keep our bat-signal aimed at the story as it develops.

Justice League is slated for release on November 17, 2017.