It's been years since the first news of a DC Extended Universe development for a Batman movie surfaced. Rumors about story plots, cast members, and even several delays of release dates have left many fans longing for more details.
So, when it will be released and where? Will Ben Affleck play any part in this? Are there any sequels or series in work? As the filming process wrapped up back in March 2021, now it's the best time to review everything we know about the upcoming Batman movie—and why you should be excited about it.
10 Ben Affleck Was Initially Set To Direct
Yes, Ben Affleck was initially cast as Bruce Wayne. In fact, he already had his script in mind and developed his story. Together with Geoff Johns, the two developed the scripts back in 2014, before the actor decided to step down in 2017 to focus on portraying the character. Two years later, as noted by Deadline, he ultimately left the project, in fear of getting back to his old binge-drinking habit.
9 Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Barry Keoghan, & More Will Join The Star-Studded Cast
The Batman will feature a star-studded cast. Besides former Twilight star Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, the upcoming movie will see Zoe Kravitz as Selina/Catwoman, Paul Dano as Edward/Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Collin Farrell as Oz/Penguin, Barry Keoghan as Stanley Merkel, and more.
8 Story-Wise, It Will Follow Batman's New Adventure Of Fighting Crimes In Gotham City
Story-wise, The Batman will be a "noir-driven" definitive story that pits Batman against The Riddler in a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the corrupt Gotham City. Interestingly, it will not follow the previous Dark Knight Trilogy's storyline, giving the writers and directors a whole new canvas to paint.
"I went on a deep dive again revisiting all my favorite comics. Those all inform by osmosis. There’s no continuation of the (Christopher) Nolan films. It’s very much trying to find a way to do this as something that for me is going to be definitively Batman and new and cool," Matt Reeves, the movie's director, said about the writing process.
7 The Production Began All the Way Back In 2014
As mentioned above, ideas for The Batman began all the way back in 2014 with Ben Affleck in mind. Affleck took Arkham Asylum as his main inspiration in writing the original script, and it was a dark, hard, and disturbing ride about insanity. As the actor dropped out of the project in 2019, many A-list stars like Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson lined up on the shortlist to replace Affleck.
6 Pattinson Initially Refused To Take The Leading Role
However, the former Twilight star initially didn't want to partake the role. The main reason was the actor didn't want to join another "big franchise studio" film after Twilight amid fears of paparazzi. In fact, in 2019, the actor confessed that he was "f---ing furious" when the news about his future appearance on The Batman leaked prematurely.
5 Christian Bale Gave Pattinson His Amen
As the news of Pattinson's role as Batman broke, many fans and critics voiced their disappointment of the casting. Some even set up a Change.org petition for it.
"Think about it," Christian Bale, who played Bruce Wayne on the Dark Knight trilogy, supported the fellow actor as he spoke to ExtraTV. "Everybody protested when Heath was cast as the Joker. Look what an absolutely brilliant performance he gave. Don't listen to those guys, do his own thing. He's a fascinating actor and a great choice."
4 Jonah Hill Was Initially Cast Either As The Riddler Or The Penguin
Before Paul Dano and Colin Farrell were cast as the Riddler and the Penguin respectively, many reports said that Jonah Hill had entered the negotiation to portray any of these characters. However, as noted by Deadline, the actor no longer "circled" The Batman as the negotiation fell through. Reportedly, Hill demanded double the amount that Pattinson would make.
3 It Will Be Released In 2022
The Batman will see a theatrical release on March 4, 2022—or at least that's what the last official release date says. As the whole world is suffering the consequences of the ongoing pandemic, The Batman is not the only movie to see a repetitive amount of delays. The movie was originally planned to be released in June 2021.
2 There Are Two More Sequels In Work ...
Fortunately, this won't be the last time we'll hear from this universe. The Batman will be the first of the upcoming trilogy, and many of its key cast members have signed to reprise their roles in the upcoming two movies. Matt Reeves will be back on the director seat, and here's hoping for more!
1 ... And One Spin-Off Series On HBO Max
Plus, there will be one spin-off series to be made by HBO Max. Reeves and Terence Winter were set to write a continuation to the film to give fans a more in-depth look at the corrupt Gotham City. However, the latter left the project over creative differences back in 2020, leaving a vacant spot for Joe Barton to replace him as one of the showrunners.