Holy status report, Batman!
After months of radio silence, Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves last night issued a bold statement of intent for The Batman – even if that’s merely the placeholder title for Bruce Wayne’s next big-screen outing. First came the long overdue confirmation that Ben Affleck, star of Batman V Superman and the ill-fated Justice League movie, plans to step down as Gotham’s Caped Crusader, presumably leaving the door open for a younger actor to don the cape and cowl.
And while Reeves is still playing his cards close to the vest, this would align with previous reports that the current Batman script features a young Bruce Wayne still adjusting to his newfound role as the Dark Knight. Either way, the director’s latest draft has sparked great excitement within Warner Bros. towers – or so say Variety.
Sources tell Variety that studio execs have been very happy with early versions of Reeves’ draft and that he had been spending the past couple of months giving a final polish before he began meeting actors for the part.
A concrete vision, a rogues gallery of villains, and a summer 2021 release window… it seems The Batman is finally beginning to take shape at Warner Bros., who recently committed to a second Suicide Squad movie with James Gunn in the driving seat. It’s also aiming for a 2021 launch, proving that, while the DCEU franchise is about as fragmented as they come, there are still plenty of exciting projects percolating in development – not least of which is a fresh and modern take on The Batman, arguably DC’s crown jewel.
It’ll be with us on June 25th, 2021, with Suicide Squad 2 expected to follow in August of that same year.
