Some directors might buckle under the weight of putting together a film as important as The Batman. Not only does it feature quite possibly one of the most beloved characters in any medium, ever, but it’s also a crucial project for the studio. With the mixed response to Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. needs a hit. They may very well get that with Justice League and/or Wonder Woman, but it’s really The Batman that people are putting most of their faith in at this point.
As you can imagine, there’s a ton of stress and pressure that comes with making such a high-profile blockbuster like this, but for Ben Affleck, it’s no sweat. In fact, the actor/director/writer embraces it. Speaking to USA Today, he said that he understands the craziness surrounding the film and re-iterated, once again, that he won’t make it unless he’s totally confident in it.
“Superhero movies get the level of attention that is nothing like any film I’ve done. You cast the 14th lead in these movies and the Internet goes crazy,” Affleck said. “I understand and embrace that. That’s part of the pressure that comes with doing it. That’s why I am not going to do it, unless I really feel confident about it.”
“But when that day comes, should that day come, I’m sure that’s going to be the most pressure, the most stress I have ever experienced in my professional life. There’s no doubt.”
Speaking on some of his ideas for the project, the actor noted how one thing that definitely needs to be improved is the costume, as it’s a bit of a pain to wear on set.
“I know what’s it’s like to be in the suit,” said Affleck. “We’ll have to modify the suit to make it a little bit easier to put on and take off. When you are in it, you can be sweating, crazy and exhausted, do your part and walk away. But when you’re a director, you can’t walk away. You have to be there for everybody. Chief among the challenges of doing Batman, will be finding a suit that’s more comfortable.”
There’s been a lot of uncertainty surrounding The Batman in recent months. Affleck stated earlier this week that he remains committed to directing, but there’s also been news about delays and comments from Big Ben on how the film isn’t a set thing. Frankly, without any kind of announcement from the studio yet, it’s easy to see where the confusion is stemming from.
Our assessment is that Affleck remains committed to the project but there’s likely some disagreements going on behind the scenes between him and Warner Bros. and things won’t be made official until everything has been ironed out. Fans have already begun to speculate that the film won’t meet its projected 2018 release date and may, in fact, swap places with Green Lantern Corps., which just got two new writers today and is said to be on the fast track.
Whatever the case may be, we’d be completely shocked if The Batman fell apart at this stage and imagine (read: hope) it’s only a matter of time before everything gets sorted out.