What To Expect From Ben Affleck's Batman Script

No matter how you feel about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it's hard to deny that Ben Affleck was a respectable Batman, despite premature Internet furor over his casting. Affleck is a guy who really gets into character—so much so that he's already written a script for a solo Batman film that he hopes to direct and star in. It's a little ambitious, given the lukewarm reception of BvS, but we have high hopes for the possibility. So, knowing what little we know, what should we expect from an Affleck-penned Batman?

Everyone in the DC universe has or will get an origin story, but we skipped right over pentagenarian Batman's. We already know how little Bruce Wayne got all messed up by the murder of his parents, but what about his first few years as a vigilante? Affleck has remarked that by the time he fights Superman, his Batman has become very cynical and jaded, a recent personality change compared to his 20 previous years under the cowl. Even BvS' Bruce Wayne is grim, but Affleck knows that this isn't the standard Batman, so it's not impossible that we'll see a lighter, prequel-y Batman in the future.

Of course, a smart Affleck also probably isn't too interested in retelling the same thing we've already seen a thousand times, which would be perfectly okay. It's hard to get a bead on just how much Batffleck will be in Suicide Squad since he's contractually obligated to not say anything about his other Bat-appearances, but he's expressed interest in the evolution of Batman. In interviews, Affleck has stated that Batman "has to recalculate" now that metahumans are a thing, and can either save or destroy the Earth. Nerds know that a calculating Batman is the best possible Batman.

Every major film that Ben Affleck has ever written has been critically acclaimed. Granted, that list only includes Good Will Hunting, Gone Baby Gone, and The Town, but every single one of those—and even his scripts for the TV show Push, Nevada—has scored very highly on any scale you look at. Affleck isn't a guy who writes a ton of scripts, and often spends many years on each project, dedicating 100% of his attention to one thing at a time, so you know that this is serious stuff. It's weird to think of Ben Affleck as a true artist, but his track record speaks for itself. He has the potential to write the best Batman ever brought to screen.

Affleck is also in very loose, tentative talks to direct his own solo Batman venture, and that wouldn't be a bad thing at all, because we really need a break from the forcibly bleak Zack Snyder stuff. Affleck has only directed three films, but all of them are top-rated, giving him another perfect batting average. Affleck is a rare talent that can actually effectively direct himself in a film as well, if Argo is any proof. An Affleck-directed Batman would be serious, but hopefully carry some of the levity that Affleck carries about himself.

Affleck isn't alone in this venture, as he has DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns on his side. While many of DC's higher ups are responsible for some questionable choices lately, Johns is known for some really excellent, formative work with DC's main heroes. While he's only written a few issues of Batman, he's written many others in which Batman is a member of the Justice League. He's also responsible for crafting major DC story arcs, like Blackest Night and Infinite Crisis, which have reshaped the entire DC universe. He knows how to handle large-scale events meaningfully, so he's an excellent co-writer to have around.

In order to make Batman relatable, you need to have a very well-developed Bruce Wayne, at least according to Ben Affleck. It makes sense, because even though most viewers aren't billionaire playboys, they're closer to that than they are to a deranged vigilante in an animal costume. Expect a lot of time out of the costume next time around, and the exploration of the differences between Batman and Bruce Wayne—if there are any left at all after the events of BvS.

The most anyone has directly said about the mysterious Ben Affleck script is that it's "really cool." We don't know if it's an adaptation of an existing Batman story, or something totally new. We also don't know if it's a villain-centric story, or just stuff about Batman dealing with the usual crime in Gotham, or if it'll tie in meaningfully to the greater Justice League story. Affleck is tight-lipped so far, and expressly forbidden by DC and Warner Bros. to discuss any Batman outside of his single film appearance, so expect a library's worth of speculation before we know any actual details.