Matt Reeves Saves ‘The Batman’ For DC Comics Fans — Completely Scraps The Ben Affleck Treatment

The legacy of Batman has become a dubious one in recent years, beginning with Ben Affleck’s first outing as the Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The disputed success of that film has raised questions about Affleck’s involvement in The Batman, the DC Comic superhero’s next live action solo film, and ultimately led to War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves taking the reigns. Not only has Mr. Reeves replaced Ben as director of The Batman, but it now seems that the story written by Affleck has been ditched as well.

The Batman Is Starting From Scratch, Says Director Matt Reeves

Working with Chris Terrio and DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns, Ben Affleck had previously created a script treatment for The Batman, but, as the Hollywood Reporter shares, the film’s new director wasn’t happy with it. In fact, Reeves expressed his feeling that there wasn’t much redeemable in the Affleck story at all, prompting him to revamp the project from the beginning.

Matt appeared on Happy Sad Confused on MTV, where his guest appearance prompted questions about his plans for The Batman. Specifically, Reeves was asked if he would be working from Affleck’s script.

“No, it’s a new story. It’s just starting again,” said The Batman director. “I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be really cool.”

Matt Reeves Is Taking Batman Back To Basics

As Comic Book Resources shares, the changes on The Batman‘s production team have resulted in a delay for the release of the Warner Bros. film, which was set to debut in 2018. That release date has been pushed back to 2019 and, while that’s certainly a disappointment to DC Comics fans, it does give Matt Reeves time to create the story he wants to tell.

Previously, Reeves revealed his plans to take The Batman back to the more traditional detective story of the early comics. While this may upset fans eager to see Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke and will most likely disrupt The Batman/Justice League timeline, the “noir-driven” detective angle Reeves is pursuing may be worth the wait.

While Ben Affleck’s script is no longer in play, he will still be reprising his version of Bruce Wayne on the screen. Joining Affleck for The Batman will be Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros./DC Entertainment]