Superhero News hosts Sean Gerber and Mark Hughes provide analysis and clarity on all of the big DC Extended Universe news stories from the past week. The Batman is firmly planted in the DCEU, as is a new Harley Quinn and Joker movie, but The Joker is getting an origin film that will exist all on its own and kickoff a new standalone banner of DC Films. Plus, an update on Justice League!
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Re: The Batman, I think the biggest question that still looms in many fans’ minds, which still remains unanswered… is whether Ben Affleck will star! A lot of fans have already grown very attached to this version of Batman crafted by Affleck and Snyder, and they are going to be greatly disappointed and upset if a) either Ben wants to leave–and then leaves by mutual agreement with WB, or b) Ben is actually being pushed out for a combination of reasons, but a major one being that Matt Reeves wants to make a trilogy that features a younger version of the character!
Reeves’ Twitter comments don’t really address this most basic question. If it is the same character it may be a younger version of him, i.e., set earlier in the Batfleck Batman’s career. That creates an interesting problem of.. well, ideally.. then having to cast someone in his 30s that physically resembles and has mannerisms similar to Ben Affleck’s character. (Personally, I doubt it will start with an origin with Batman his 20s, although who knows.)
That is, a younger version of the current Batfleck should not be a huge departure, lest it break immersion. Like casting Toby Kebbell or Oscar Isaac, or someone who bears no resemblance at all to the character we know. Maybe Reeves and WB would decide it ultimately doesn’t matter and will in effect create a brand new character. But the gist that I take away from Reeves’ comments and interviews about this, is he is making it a condition that he be able to tell the type of story he wants to tell first and foremost, regardless of the continuity. He has at least created that very clear impression, I think that is fair to assert.
If The Batman is going to feature the same Batman that we already have, i.e., Ben Affleck’s version… and both studio and director sincerely respect continuity for the character… I think Reeves has little choice but to cast Ben Affleck and keep developing this older Batman. Which would actually be great imo! Because Ben Affleck playing the current character in a Noir detective film that uses a kind of Hitchcockian psychological point-of-view would be off the chain.
Of course this would mean that Ben wants to stay, and Reeves is willing to work with that.
But I’m by no means confident that is what we will get. I think we may very well get a younger version of the character. And if they do that, then I have serious doubts as to how meaningfully the character and story actually will connect to this older, more seasoned veteran Batman that we currently have. Batfleck is in the opinion of many fans, hands down, the best version of the character we have ever seen.
What they aren’t saying are the kinds of changes that are a big deal, even if they’re small, and will change much of the look of the film.
Such as the color palette.
We can already tell from Joss-approved trailer that the grey skies and dingy colors of Zack’s vision, from MoS and BvS, are gone.
The scene with Batman and Aquaman together fighting Parademons in the Zack-approved trailer was pitch black and much like BvS, almost impossible to see much of what was going on.
In the Joss-approved trailer, the skies are now red. Also, scenes between Bruce and Diana are much lighter than they were before.
Whedon is going to change the color timing from Zack’s dingy look to something a little brighter. Meaning we finally might see just how blue and red Superman’s suit actually is when not color-timed down to the point where everything is a grey smudge.