We already know that The Batman started out as a project for Ben Affleck before it was handed over to Matt Reeves who brought it in a new direction. However, that doesn't mean Reeves wasn't interested in pursuing Affleck's vision. The filmmaker has just shared his thoughts on the Justice League star's screenplay and says it "could have been a very exciting movie."
Matt Reeves was recently a guest on The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith podcast where he discussed how The Batman came to be.
"The movie was originally going to be directed by Ben Affleck, and the script they sent me had been written by Ben but rewritten by another very talented writer, and when I read it, I was like, 'Oh, I get it,'" Reeves explained. "It was a standalone Batman film that was centered on Ben's version of the character, but it was more action-driven than what I felt I could do."
He continued, "I didn't connect to the movie-in terms of me as a filmmaker. It was very James Bond-ian; it was filled with a lot of set pieces."
Reeves concluded by stating that "it could have been a very exciting movie for someone else to do, but it wasn't for me to do."
It's interesting to know that Reeves liked what Ben Affleck had planned for his Batman film but was also quick to admit to himself that he couldn't recreate Affleck's vision. Although it meant that the original screenplay never got produced, it's great that Reeves liked it enough to praise Affleck's script.
The Batman went on to recast Bruce Wayne and Reeves chose Robert Pattinson to take over the role. For now, it is unclear if we'll ever get to see Ben Affleck's screenplay going into production. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.
Related: Tim Burton Drops the F-Bomb on Warner Bros. While Recalling Batman Forever
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