When Ben Affleck stepped back from directing The Batman, we knew changes were coming. Turns out those changes are total. In a new interview, director Matt Reeves confirmed what many had long suspected. He won’t be using the original script Affleck was working on with DC’s Geoff Johns.
Ben Affleck as Batman in Justice League. Image: Warner Bros.
“No [we won’t be using that], it’s a new story,” Reeves said on MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. “It’s just starting again. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be really cool.”
Earlier this year, Forbes reported the script would “undergo substantial changes and possible/probably another full rewrite”, but this is the first time someone directly involved has confirmed that. So does that mean Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke is no longer the villain? It’s unclear. All Reeves would say is that it has a noir quality, and that he hopes to really get into the psychology of the character.
We may hear more about The Batman next week when Warner Bros. brings the Justice League and Aquaman casts to San Diego Comic-Con. But until then, the film doesn’t even have a release date.
We contacted Warner Bros. for possible clarification but have not yet heard back.