There is little doubt that things have worked out for The Batman since the highly-anticipated DC flick is finally hitting theaters this March. However, there was a time when it was a completely different project that would be adapting a screenplay by Ben Affleck. But why did Matt Reeves decide to pass on the Justice League star's script and go in a completely different direction? The director has finally explained why he refused to work on Affleck's screenplay!
Back in 2015, it was announced that Ben Affleck would direct, write, and star in the Batman standalone film. However, Battfleck had decided to step down as director by 2017 which led to Matt Reeves being brought in to take over. Interestingly, Reeves immediately decided against using Affleck's script and rewrote the screenplay to focus on a younger Bruce Wayne. By 2019, Affleck left the project completely and Robert Pattinson was cast in the role.
So what was wrong with Ben Affleck's script? Reeves explained to Esquire that the screenplay focused too much on the DC Extended Universe.
"It was very action-driven. It was very deeply connected to the DCEU, with other major characters from other movies and other comics popping up. I just knew that when I read it this particular script was not the way I’d want to do it,” he said.
That's when Reeves decided to put his foot down and convinced Warner Bros. to let him do things his own way.
“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,” he stated.
It's interesting to know that Warner Bros. decided to go with Reeves' move for a change. Needless to say, we can't wait to see what he has done with the film.
The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The movie will hit theaters on March 4, 2022.
Related: The Batman Director Continues to Defend Robert Pattinson Casting
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