It appears that reports about Ben Affleck stepping down as director of The Batman were greatly exaggerated. Now he claims that the project is moving forward.
Affleck and his Live by Night co-star, Chris Messina, sat down with Fox 5's Kevin McCarthy to talk about the recently released crime drama that Affleck wrote, directed, co-produced, and starred in. Toward the end of the interview, McCarthy revealed that he felt that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was one of the top ten movies of 2016, and he pleaded with the 44-year-old actor/director to "please direct Batman". In response, Affleck said, "All right! We're good and going"¦we're going!"
This must be a relief for fans who were worried that he would pull out as director of The Batman after he stated in an interview that the project is "not a set thing" and that he wouldn't make it unless it came together in a way that he thinks is "really great".
While Affleck is keen on calling the shots for the Caped Crusader's next standalone movie, cameras might not start rolling as scheduled. According to a new report from Batman-On-Film, there will be a delay in production.
One of their longtime sources has claimed that The Batman has been "pushed back a couple of months". If there is any truth behind this report, filming won't start until mid-summer at the earliest. That also means that Warner Bros. would find it very difficult to launch the movie in theaters on July 27, 2018 - a release date that is heavily rumored to belong to the DC Extended Universe installment.
Of course, this is just a rumor, and it should be taken with a grain of salt. But it does make sense, considering the fact that Affleck has repeatedly said that he wouldn't rush into making a "mediocre" Batman movie. And the studio doesn't seem to mind allowing him ample time, as they have reportedly delayed the Justice League sequel just to make room for The Batman.
