Earlier today, we got word that the long overdue debut solo outing of Aquaman is slated for October 5, 2018, which is a good enough reason to celebrate. But after taking in the news, we couldn’t help but remember that it was originally due for July 27 of that very year. So, why the three month push?
To put it quite simply, Warner Bros. have two generous golden gooses on their hands: One being Harry Potter and the other being The Batman. And, according to Deathstroke himself, Joe Manganiello, cameras start rolling on the latter this coming spring. A year and change seems like ample time to make a project of this sort work, especially with them rolling out on such a regular basis. As such, it begs the question: could Affleck’s solo Bat flick arrive in July 2018?
Notwithstanding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which we’re technically counting as a team-up flick, every solo movie starring The Dark Knight released by WB has historically seen a summer release date – usually June or July. This development certainly allows the stars to align in the Masked Manhunter’s favor, as a proven box office powerhouse such as him will be able to hold his own, while Aquaman will have ample breathing room in October.
Now, WB previously had that October date reserved for a mystery DC film to begin with, so this shouldn’t complicate their entire film slate in the slightest if at all. Some may ask if The Flash could be pushed – a possibility we don’t doubt considering it’s currently without a director – but, again, we have to be honest in saying the Scarlet Speedster just wouldn’t be as high of a priority for the studio as the reliable cash cow that is Batman. Sure, there is that Harley Quinn spinoff co-starring the Birds of Prey, but that’s more likely to fall on another open date reserved for a DC offering (November 1, 2019), considering that they just now hired a writer.
Any way you slice it, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a fan of The Batman and DC in general. Between the movies and TV shows, this is indeed what one would call an embarrassment of riches.
