When isThe Batmanhappening? That seems to have been the question on a lot of people’s minds over the past year or so, since the release ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeintroducedBen Affleck’s interesting take on the Dark Knight. Affleck is poised to direct the standaloneBatmanmovie, which he’s co-writing withGeoff Johns, but theArgofilmmaker has been rather non-committal when it comes to a timetable, and for good reason. Affleck has the clout to put his foot down andnotstart racing towards a release date, even if Warner Bros. no doubt wishesThe Batmanwas coming sooner rather than later.
But yesterdayrumors surfacedthat the filming dates forThe Batmanhave been pushed back, this coming on the heels of Affleck wavering a bit on his directorial commitment by saying he won’t make the film unless the script is worthwhile. Last night, however, Affleck went onJimmy Kimmel Liveto reaffirm his commitment to directingThe Batmanwhile also kindly asking fans to chill the f out.
“I’m gonna direct the next Batman, we’re workin’ on it. It’s one of those things that’s really frustrating because like withLive by Night, it took me a year and a half to write it and get it ready and I worked really hard, it’s just nobody gave a shit. No one was like ‘Where’sLive by Night?!’ But with Batman I keep getting the like, ‘Where’s the fucking Batman?!’ and I’m like ‘Bro I’m workin’, give me a second!”
I’ll go ahead and sayIwas admittedly impatient with regards to whenLive by Nightmight happen, but Affleck’s frustration is understandable as this is unlike any directorial project he’s tackled before.Batmancomes with an intense fanbase and immense interest, and we live in a world in which superhero movies have teasers for thenextsuperhero sequel/follow-up at the end of the movie—it’s not enough to have one worthwhile experience, audiences are now almost more interested in what’snextrather than what’s now.
Warner Bros. has yet to announce a firm release date forThe Batman, and about all we know is thatJoe Manganiellois playing the movie’s villain, Deathstroke. Affleck’sLive by Night, while highly anticipated, isn’t quite reaching the critical heights of his previous directorial efforts, so perhaps he’s feeling some added pressure onThe Batman. Whatever the case, I think Affleck’s earned the right to take his time, so I look forward to watchingThe Batmanwhenever Affleck’s ready to make it.
