- Batfleck is out as the Batman director.
Could the two replacement front runners save it?
Find out on Nerdist News.
Yay.
Don't!
I hate these (bleeps) things, I'm gonna...
Okay.
(bright music)
Writer, director, actor,
Beantown bad boy Ben Affleck can do it all,
except, it seems, when he's got Bat ears on.
The Oscar-winning auteur has stepped away
from the director's chair
on Warner Brothers' upcoming DCEU Batman solo flick.
Some have speculated that the demotion may have to do
with disappointment over the poor performance
of Affleck's latest film, Live By Night.
But Ben contend that the move was strictly
about wanting to give his all to the character.
"Performing this role demands focus, passion
"and the very best performance I can give.
"It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs
"to the level they require,"
Affleck said in a rent statement, adding,
"I have decided to find a partner in a director
"who will collaborate with me on this massive film."
It was a sentiment echoed by the studio,
who said in a separate statement,
"Warner Brothers fully support Ben Affleck's decision
"and remains committed to working with him
"to bring a standalone Batman picture to life."
Now one of the few things you could argue
the DCEU has over its competitors at Marvel
is a willingness to indulge a filmmaker's creative vision.
Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad both highlighted
the unique styles of their individual directors.
How you felt about those unique styles is another matter,
but there's no denying they were there.
And one of the exciting prospects of Affleck's Batman
was that Warner Brothers was finally handing the reigns
over to a director with a style
that can actually bring something interesting and,
dare we say it, good,
to their thus-far critically-unloved mega-franchise.
I know, I know.
It's still weird to think of the guy from Armageddon
as a great director, but the dude does have
a Best Picture winner under his belt.
And the grounded, character-driven crime drama
that he specialized in,
with films like Gone Baby Gone and The Town,
really could have offered an interesting take
on the Caped Crusader, a hero
we've seen on screen so many times before.
So should we be grieving the loss
of the Affleck-fueled Bat flick we'll never get to see?
Well, in a word, no.
As Affleck himself said, he's looking for a director
to act as a partner.
In years past, names like David Fincher and George Miller
have floated around various Batman-related projects,
but we shouldn't expect to see anyone
of that creative caliber in contention for this one.
Affleck is clearly looking for someone
to fulfill a vision for Batman
that he's already established,
and according to Deadline,
two names have emerged as front runners for the gig
that already seem likely to fall in line with that vision.
The first mane on the short list is Matt Reeves.
Reeves has recently established himself
as a trustworthy tentpole director,
helming movies like Cloverfield, Let Me In,
and the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise.
While none of those films feel very similar
to any of Affleck's work,
they do speak to his ability to adapt.
From found footage shaky-cam
to more traditional blockbuster action directing,
Reeves clearly has a knack for changing up his style
to fit the needs of the script.
There's no reason to think
that he couldn't do the same for Batfleck.
Now the other name under hevay consideration is Matt Ross.
Ross is actually better known as an actor,
with a long and varied career in projects ranging
from American Horror Story to American Psycho
to The Last Days of Disco.
Shout out to all the Nerdist Whit Stillman fans!
What what!
Anyways.
Ross is a newbie director, but his film Captain Fantastic
was a big hit at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
Now it is possible that Warner Brothers
heard the title Captain Fantastic
and assumed it was a superhero movie
as opposed to an indie drama
about a weirdo who raised his kids in the woods.
Or, they see Ross as a capable, but still very new director,
who won't be opposed to taking orders from Affleck.
But regardless of which director gets the job,
it seem clear that Warner Brothers remains committed
to letting Affleck complete his Batman.
Everyone just recognizes that directing can get tough
when you're wearing a super suit.
I mean, that's totally why Robert Townsend
dropped the ball with Meteor Man.
Now we want to hear from you guys
about this latest development
for the next big-screen Batman.
Do either of these directors get your Batmobile running?
Is there another person you would pick for the gig?
You can check out our full dream list over at Nerdist.com,
but in the meantime,
let's discuss.
I made you wait.