Right now, fans can see Ben Affleck’s newest take on the Dark Knight in Justice League! You can also read Dark Knight News’ review of the film by our very own Damian Fasciani here.
While we know that Ben Affleck was originally slated to direct, write, and star in a solo Batman film, he ended up stepping down from the director’s chair earlier this year. With Matt Reeves now in charge of the solo Batman project, titled The Batman, it’s still unclear whether or not Ben Affleck will be returning to the role.
In a recent interview with IGN for Justice League however, we may have gotten some insight as to what his solo Batman film might’ve shaped into. When asked which Batman story he would most like to adapt into a solo movie, he explains that Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns version of the character is his favorite. And this is the version of the character, and very loosely some of the story, that was used in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman, which is probably what drew Affleck to the part to begin with.
Affleck goes on to say:
“A lot times people go ‘are we faithful to the comics, are we not faithful to the comics?’ I’ve read comics since I was a little kid and the truth is, the best comics actually are the ones that make changes. That reinvent. That try new stuff. Which is why I don’t feel I need, I don’t feel hive bound to have to have the character say something that has actually been said in a comic before, like, it’s a filmmaker’s responsibility to innovate, to find new stuff, and to be creative in new ways.”
This is great insight, and sounds very similar to how Christopher Nolan approached his three Batman films. While each film borrowed and were inspired by various Batman stories, they were all original and unique stories that did their own thing rather than adapting something that has been done before. It sounds like Affleck was taking the same approach before he stepped down.
Do you share Ben’s philosophy in adapting a story to a film? What are your favorite Batman stories you’d like to see in live-action? Let us know!
Fans can see Affleck as the Caped Crusader in Justice League, out now!