"The Batman" - NO SPOILERS

[The Dark Knight]

What would people like to see in The Batman?

Here's a quick list from me.

1. The batfamily: He can bring in Oracle, Nightwing, Robin or Batgirl if he so desires. I think how the Arkham games handled Robin and Nightwing would be the best way to go. The games kept Batman as a loner, and his allies were also independent. But they answered his calls for help and displayed great loyalty to the man.

2. A new tragedy: The graffitied Robin costume in BvS has already been established. Affleck can flesh this out in the solo film if he so desires, giving audiences a new and powerful trauma for the character other than his parents death. It's not new to us fans, but it's new to the movies, and I think it would be wonderful.

3. Detective work: This has been touched upon in the films, but it hasn't been prominent. That can change. I'm talking about a Long Halloween style Batman, mixed in with crime scene investigations as seen in the Arkham games.

4. More Bruce: Affleck is one of the most charismatic leading men in Hollywood, so let's use that. That means seeing Bruce Wayne as the public figure and the businessman. We already know that Bruce is respected by his company's employees, and he's around the business quite a bit. So I'd like to see more. The Telltale Batman game is a demonstration as to just how cool and under-utilised Bruce Wayne is as a character.

5. The prepared man: I'm a sucker for secret doors and secret batcaves hidden around Gotham. If Affleck would bring this element to the table, I'd be really grateful. It hasn't been explored in the films to the full extent it can be. If Batman is locked into a seemingly impossible scenario, it would show he's always one step ahead.

And in general, all he has to do is retain the same martial arts as seen in BvS, and the same locations from that film. And of course bring back Junkie XL. I'd like the film to present a dire battle for Batman, much like TDK Rises did. But this time, Batman fights back in a more satisfying way and endures. It would be fist pumpingly good to see this dark, determined man using all his allies and resources to ultimately win the day.

But in any case, I have full faith in Ben Affleck.

[thecolorsblend]

Batman as Detective- This has been spotty in the films so far. We see a bit of it happening in BVS but it's implied that he's been quite busy identifying the White Portuguese, studying the effects of Kryptonite, tracking Anatoli, etc. Continuing that stuff

Backstory- When I was getting into Batman in the late 80's and early 90's, there was a tremendous tapestry going on. Dick had become Nightwing, Babs had been shot, Jason was dead, etc. It gave the character a vast history and myth. What I cherish about BVS is how it implies so much history to this character and I'd love to see new items introduced or hinted at (Babs becoming either Batgirl or Oracle) while existing tidbits (the graffiti on Robin's outfit, the state of Wayne Manor, etc) can be explored. Snyder positioned the next Batman movie to be amazing.

Crimefighter- So often with these Batman movies you see Batman duking it out with supervillains but ignoring crime. BVS was a step in the right direction with all of the crimes (shown and implied) Batman has been fighting all these decades. Keep this going!

Arkham Asylum- Whether it's the video game concept or something more in line with the comics, I want to see the DCEU version of this thing. It doesn't have to emulate the story of the video game; just showing the place as a repository for Batman's enemies would be swell... and it would tie in with the backstory thing above.

History- One thing I enjoy about Grant Morrison's work is his notion of incorporating Batman's entire publishing history into the character's life story. So there was a Golden Age/1939 era in Batman's history, there was a Silver Age/Adam West era, there was a Denny O'Neal Adams/Bronze Age period, etc. Something like that in the movies could be very interesting. I won't insist on it but I'd love it.

[The Laughing Fish]

Superhero films nowadays love to have multiple characters, but I'd prefer to have Batman face off against only one villain this time around. It would make the story more focused, and give Batman to strut his stuff.

[Catwoman]

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/ben-affleck-will-not-direct-the-batman-015043700.html

[The Laughing Fish]

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/ben-affleck-will-not-direct-the-batman-015043700.html

So he'll co-produce the film and star, obviously. I suppose looking back, it was always a big ask to direct AND star the same film, but it's a little disappointing nonetheless.

[The Dark Knight]

Oh well.

I'd love Zach Snyder to come back. That would be unbelievably awesome.

[thecolorsblend]

Not a big surprise, tbh. It's a bit much to expect one man to meet with financing partners in his role as producer, coordinate production and keep studio suits pacified in his role as director, write an amazing script in his role as screen writer and turn in an amazing performance in his role as lead.

I think he could probably do all that if we were looking at a 2021 release date. But we're not. This is the smart move. It keeps Affleck engaged while freeing up a huge chunk of his time and concentration for other things.

Mind you, this raises the question of just who will direct the movie. Snyder is booked up, obviously. But what about Robert Rodriguez? He's finishing a movie pretty soon and his schedule just might allow him to transition directly into the Batman. His style could be an interesting match for Batman and his world. I don't just mean that Sin City thing (although that too); I mean the guy's entire Mariachi work ethic.

Hey, maybe Burton has an opening in his schedule.

[Travesty]

I thought the writing was on the wall when he was dodging the questions, and then talking about needing a better Batsuit to be able to act and direct. I'm not surprised, but it is a bit of a bummer.

I doubt he will, but I hope Snyder gets it, so we can see a meltdown from the more popular sites. But I don't even know who I would want to direct it? I would have to think about it. Also, I wanna see what direction Batman goes in with JLA.

[Silver Nemesis]

I don't think they should worry about finding a visionary auteur to sit in the director's chair. That would only be necessary if they were looking to establish a new interpretation from scratch. But the groundwork for this Batman has already been laid. They really just need someone technically proficient to work within the parameters of the DCEU 'house style' and get the job done.

At this stage I'd say the script is the element requiring the most care and attention. Get the script right and the rest of the pieces should fall into place.

[Silver Nemesis]

Forbes writer Mark Hughes claims to have heard rumours concerning Affleck's possible departure from the lead role:

"Unfortunately, among the things I heard about his departure as director, I heard a few specifics that — if true — lead me to worry there is at least a chance Affleck could also walk away from starring in the picture. I don't feel those concerns are as likely to bear fruit, and I still expect Affleck will finish the screenplay as planned and then start prepping for the role by getting into "Batman shape" to ensure he's physically and mentally prepared for the role. That said, I do believe there's a chance now that Affleck could depart the project as an actor, winding up merely serving as cowriter and producer."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2017/01/31/ben-affleck-quits-as-the-batman-movie-director/#501b28de7a7a

I'm pretty sure this is all just conjecture stemming from his decision to pass on the directing gig. I seriously doubt he'll vacate the role.