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If Ben Affleck’s Batman had his solo film, it would have used elements inspired by the Arkham video games.
With Matt Reeves’s The Batman just over a month away, audiences are excited to see the director’s new take on the Dark Knight. However, before Reeves and Robert Pattison decided to collaborate, it was Ben Affleck’s script that was going to bring the Dark Knight back to the big screen after Justice League, and he was going to use elements from the Arkham video games to do it.
After signing on to play Bruce Wayne for Batman v Superman, Ben Affleck was to star and direct his own film with a script he penned himself. The reaction to both BvS and Justice League, however, caused Affleck to leave the director’s chair and the role of Batman, allowing Reeves to take over and make a new story outside the DC Extended Universe. But after Affleck’s return in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, fans still are still clamoring for information about the canceled Batman film.
In Affleck’s script, the main antagonist was Joe Manganiello’s Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, who planned to ruin the Caped Crusader’s life by destroying his reputation and murdering those close to him. This would come after the masked assassin learned Batman’s true identity from Lex Luthor at the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Deathstroke was also an antagonist in the Arkham Origins video game, which inspired Affleck to include a fight with Batman and Deathstroke in a style similar to that of the games.
The DCEU’s Batman had already used elements of these games in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with the famous warehouse fight showing Batman engage in an Arkham-style battle with Luthor’s henchmen to save Martha Kent. It makes sense that the DCEU would want to take more inspiration from the video game source material, and it looks like Affleck was planning to take it one step further.
Similar to the Arkham Asylum game, the script also had Batman take a trip to the infamous institution, where the Caped Crusader would explore his own sanity amongst the villainous inmates. Cinematographer Robert Richardson, who was set to work on Affleck’s film, has claimed the story would have shown “the darker side of Batman,” something that is touched on numerous times in the game series.
As it stands, it’s unclear if any elements of Affleck’s script made it into Reeves’ film, but the actor still deserves credit for attempting to bring elements of the beloved game franchise to the big screen. While he may be on his way out as the Dark Knight, Affleck will always have a special place in the heart of DCEU and Batman fans.
To see Matt Reeves’ take on the Dark Knight, The Batman is in theaters Mar. 4.
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