Thanks in large part to the Live By Night press junkets, a crackle of excitement is currently swirling around The Batman solo movie, a standalone pic that Ben Affleck will write, direct and headline as Gotham’s Caped Crusader.
Aside from some conflicting reports regarding the movie’s story – not to mention those actors lobbying for a role in it – there’s been a lot of chatter regarding when The Batman will enter production, and just yesterday it appeared as though Affleck was willing to mull over the script until such a time that he was in possession of a cohesive, compelling narrative. No rush, then.
However that may be, Variety caught up with the writer-director to discuss his involvement in Live By Night and, subsequently, The Batman, where Affleck revealed that the solo movie is “on the right track” to start lensing in spring 2017. Such an estimation aligns with previous reports, after Deathstroke actor Joe Manganiello tentatively slated Affleck’s superhero passion project for a production start early next year.
Here’s the latest from Affleck himself: “We’re on the right track with that and everything is coming together. We’re still finishing up a script. I’m very excited.”
Perhaps more than anything else, when put together these comments indicate that a summer 2018 release window may not be such a far-flung proposition after all. Warner Bros. will be forced to find some wiggle room for The Batman, though, considering that both The Flash and Aquaman currently hold 2018 dates, too.