Here’s a surprise… sorta.
The Hollywood Reporter is well… reporting… that actor/director Ben Affleck will direct and star in a solo Batman film, with DC Comics head honcho Geoff Johns penning the script. The two are creating a plan for a new film, which would start after Affleck directs an adaptation of author Denis Lahane’s novel Live By Night.
Affleck directing and starring in a solo Batman movie isn’t the surprise here. It’s all-star Johns handling the scripting duties that surprises me. Don’t get me wrong, the guy has about as much comic book credibility as anyone (really, anyone) and would get my approval to tackle any character in the medium. However, this isn’t comics… it’s movies. And not just any movie, a Batman movie. Johns has handled scripts for a few tv shows (Arrow, The Flash, Smallville), but nothing on this scale.
No word yet on a release date, however the film would likely come after 2017’s Justice League: Part One.