The DCEU seriously cannot catch a break, can it? After months of interesting developments and seemingly strong progress, Ben Affleck recently came out and admitted that he's prepared to back out of helming the solo Batman movie if he cannot get the story right. This revelation left die hard Bat fans in a bitter state of uncertainty, as there are few ideas more tantalizing than a gritty DCEU Batman movie with Ben Affleck running the show. With that in mind, I have one simple (yet effective) solution for DC and Warner Bros.: push the film back, because rushing this project could potentially be an unmitigated disaster. Allow me to explain.
First and foremost, it's worth acknowledging that the current DC slate is not a barren wasteland. In 2017 alone we have Wonder Woman and Justice League to look forward to, and within the next few years we will see Aquaman, The Flash, Man of Steel 2, and even Shazam. Beyond that, on the villainous side of things, we will also see Gotham City Sirens, Suicide Squad 2, and a Deadshot solo movie, if all goes according to plan. As excited as we are by the prospect of a new movie centering exclusively on Batfleck, it doesn't have to be a priority for DC at this stage of the game.
That point becomes even more noteworthy when we consider the fact that Ben Affleck's Batman can still appear in all of the aforementioned films. Between his cameo in Suicide Squad and his rumored role in Diana Prince's solo adventure this summer, the DCEU has proven that (for all of its faults) it knows how to stay interconnected and weave characters in and out of each others' films. It's arguably even more well-connected than the Marvel Cinematic Universe was at this point. Batman is one of the few superheroes who sometimes actually works better as a side character (look no further than the classic Justice League cartoon for evidence of that), so keeping Ben Affleck in the wings could be a smart move while establishing the more obscure heroes and villains in more central roles.
Beyond that, the fact remains that Ben Affleck is a commodity that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment shouldn't waste. As an Oscar-winning director and screenwriter, he is unquestionably one of the most talented, prestigious, and reliable filmmakers that the DC cinematic universe has managed to lock down. Fan responses to the work of Zack Snyder and David Ayer have been nothing if not polarized, and Patty Jenkins has yet to truly prove herself. Even if the solo Batman film takes longer as a result, keeping Ben Affleck attached (and giving him the necessary time to work) seems like the safest and most stable course of action at this point.
There are admittedly certain issues associated with waiting too long to bring the solo Batman movie to theaters. For starters, Ben Affleck isn't getting any younger and The Caped Crusader is an incredibly physical role. DC and Warner Bros. can wait, but they cannot wait a decade to get this film off of the ground. Then there's the issue of striking while the iron is hot, as fan enthusiasm could ultimately wane if this takes took long. However, even in the face of those potential pitfalls, I still think waiting and properly honing the solo Batman film with Ben Affleck is the proper creative decision. After all, Batman is the cornerstone of the DC mythos, and a bad Batman movie could be a deathblow to the DCEU in the long run.
Of course, that's just my take on the issue. What's yours? Do you think Warner Bros. should refocus and bring in a different filmmaker on the solo Batman movie, or should they bide their time and let Ben Affleck do his thing? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
