Expectations are already reaching "through the roof" levels for the Batman solo movie, which doesn't even have a finished script yet. With Oscar winner Ben Affleck directing and co-writing alongside comic book super scribe Geoff Johns, things are already looking up for the Dark Knight's next adventure. Rumors have claimed that the film will primarily be set at Arkham Asylum with a legion of Batman's villains running amok, but now a new rumor suggests that the film is actually going to be much bigger than just one building.
This new rumor comes from self-proclaimed "Ace Scooper" Umberto Gonzalez, who took to Twitter to share a small tidbit about the untitled Batman movie in honor of Batman Day. Contradictory to recent rumors, the film will not take place entirely at Arkham Asylum. It will - like most movies - take place at lots of different locations, which is just fine. Gonzalez has a decent track record with breaking scoops, but there's always the chance that he's wrong or something will chance in the lengthy development process. Movies rarely turn out how they are initially planned.
If the report is true then that doesn't mean that there won't be any scenes at Arkham - just that it won't be the sole location for the entire film. Arkham Asylum isn't a place that we've seen a lot of in any of the Batman films, so it'd certainly help set the solo film apart and show us a corner of Gotham we haven't really seen. While a movie set entirely at Arkham is tantalizing, that really already exists in the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. A film as big as this feels like it should shoot higher than being an adaptation of a video game (albeit, a great video game).
The Batman solo movie is already getting people excited. There's still a lot we don't know about the DCEU Batman and what happened to him before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. What sidekicks did he have? What villains has he fought? Does he have a giant penny somewhere in the Bat Cave? This movie will hopefully work to answer those questions and clarify what exists in this new continuity. That alone is pretty exciting, and with Ben Affleck at the helm Batman could be coming back in a big way.
As of now we still know very little else about the Batman solo movie. Deathstroke, played by Joe Manganiello, is confirmed to be the main villain of the film, giving Batman a huge physical challenge. It's an extremely safe bet to say that Jeremy Iron's sassy Alfred will also return for the film alongside J.K. Simmons' Commissioner Gordon, but other than that it's all speculation (fingers crossed for Nightwing!).
The untitled Batman reboot is expected to release sometime in 2018, but you can next see the Caped Crusader in Justice League, which hits theaters on November 17, 2017
