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Forget Batman and Superman, the real greatest team up of all time is taking place behind the camera. Warner Bros has announced that Academy Award winning talent and current Batman, Ben Affleck (The Town), will be directing as well as starring in the next Batman solo film! So who did WB decide to team with their one man wrecking crew to write this bad boy? None other than their top DC comics writer, Geoff Johns (The Flash)! Holy shit, right? That is one hell of a tag team. Affleck is a life long fan of the character and Johns has written the Bat on multiple occasions. So expect the most comic accurate and badass Batman to date on the silver screen. The movie is expected to shoot after Affleck wraps up production on Dennis Lehane's Live By The Night. So a tentative mid 2017 release date sounds likely! Source: ComicBookMovie
What direction do you want Affleck+Johns to take Batman? Who should the villain(s) be? Sound off in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for all our TV + moviereviews. as well as our editorials.
Who is Batman?: Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire, industrialist, and philanthropist (You hear that Tony Stark?). Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with a sense of justice. Wayne trained himself to peak human physical and intellectual perfection. Often called "The World's Greatest Detective", he dons a bat-themed costume to strike fear into the heart of criminals and to fight crime in Gotham City.
Director: Ben Affleck (The Town)
Why?: Batman directing a Batman movie. In the immortal words of Stan Lee "Nuff said". But seriously Affleck is a major asset to the DCCU not just as an actor, but as a director. In all three of his directoral features Ben has displayed that he knows how to shoot dark and gritty. But what he handles best are the characters in his movies. Each one is an unique and interesting individual provided with kickass dialogue. In addition to shooting the film, Affleck, who is big comics fan himself, should co-write this script with his boy Chris Terrio (Argo).
Proposed Story: Batman thinks he knows his city better than anyone, but is he ever wrong. After a string of strange murders that implicate Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Batman must investigate into an urban legend, that he looked into as a child, called the Court of Owls. He soon finds there may be some truth to the legend, but will he be able to stop the Court's plans before they take out their next target, Bruce Wayne.
Inspired By: The main story will be inspired by Scott Snyder's The Court Of Owls. This story in particular showcases Batman's detective skills and expands upon the ever-growing Batman rogues gallery.
Lead Characters (Cast): I'm only sticking to the main Batman family. So just Batman, Nightwing, and Alfred will be in this film (Sorry Damian, Babs, Jason, and Catwoman).
1. Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck)
Why?: Affleck is going to be a great Batman. I have confidence in him. But in order to differ from Bale's version of the character, this Batman should be emphasized as"The World's Greatest Detective". He needs to show his skills of detection and solve a mystery. The Court of Owls storyline gives the character the chance to do just that.
2. Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Logan Lerman)
Why?: Dick is an essential part of the Batman mythos. Yet he has not had a proper film treatment (That's right Chris O'Donnell, you sucked. And JGL's "Robin" Blake doesn't count either) that the character so deserves. Having Ben Affleck as an older Batman allows for Dick Grayson to have already been Robin and don the mantle of Nightwing. I chose Alex Pettyfer because he is in good physical shape and is an up and coming actor (loved him in Fury). I would love to see some intense acrobatics in Dick's fight scenes as well.
3. Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons)
Why?: Alfred is Bruce's right hand man and confidant. There is no Batman without him. He provides Bruce with comfort along with some occasional dry wit. Jeremy Irons is an acclaimed British actor. He is a perfect choice to pick up the mantle of the World's most famous butler from Michael Caine.
Villains (Cast)
1. The Talon/William Cobb (Scott Adkins)
Why?: The current Talon (assassin) for the Court of Owls, William Cobb carries out any murder that the group asks of him. This part is mostly action focused and doesn't require the actor to take off his mask for pretty much all of it. I chose Scott Adkins because he is a martial arts master.
2. Lincoln March/Owlman (Casey Affleck)
Why?: The surprise villain of the film, Lincoln March is a seemingly straight-edge mayoral candidate that actually has ties to the Court and Bruce Wayne. Casey Affleck is a solid actor. I have fan casted him previously. Click here to read it.
3. Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie)
Why?: Harley would be great as a villain to be beaten down in a cold opening. Margot Robbie will have previous been in Suicide Squad by this point. So her appearance would bring more continuity to the universe. Could also lead to a Mr. J tease at the end.
4. The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot (Nick Frost)
Why?: Iceberg club owner/notorious criminal Oswald Cobblepot becomes a high profile target of the Court of Owls. Batman is forced to protect his nemesis from an assassination attempt. Nick Frost is known for his comedic roles. He has talent. I think he is ready to break into drama and The Penguin is just the part to do it.
Thanks for reading! The 12 days of Editorials continues tomorrow with a write-up on Justice League Pt.2! Be sure to check back here then to see it for yourself! And read our first 3 articles on the DCCU by clicking the links below.
During DC's Batman: Assault on Arkham panel at SDCC, the comics company announced a pair of new animated projects they have been working on. The first is Batman VS. Robin. It will be a loose adaption of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Court of Owls storyline.
The second announcement was the return of animation god Bruce Timm to DC. The guru will be directing an original storyline titled Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Both movies will come out in 2015.
COURT OF OWLS AND BRUCE TIMM! Great day for DC animation. Their last two flicks JL: War and Son Of Batman have been a little weak. Hopefully these new ones will be back up to snuff.
Why?: Ben Affleck's brother as Bruce Wayne's "possible" brother, sounds like a match made in heaven. Scott Snyder introduced the character of mayoral candidate Lincoln March in the story arc The Court of Owls in 2011. As the tale progressed, March reveals himself to really be Thomas Wayne Jr. or rather Bruce's younger brother. Batman of course does not believe March because that would mean his parents lied to him, which Bruce sees as impossible. One thing Bruce cannot deny however is that his resemble to March is uncanny. So who better to play Batfleck's younger brother than his real life younger brother. Casey and Ben have collaborated several times in the past and much of that has resulted in Casey's best work. In Ben's first directorial venture, Gone Baby Gone, Casey shined as lead protagonist Patrick Kenzie who must decide what is right and what is wrong in a dark mystery about child abduction. The same year Casey nabbed a Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Robert Ford. That film showcases him as a man who hides his true intentions then betrays the lead protagonist, Brad Pitt's Jesse James. Sounds awfully similar to March's story. Combine his resemblance to Batfleck, their past successful collaborations, and his Oscar nominated acting chops and Casey Affleck is a perfect candidate to play Lincoln March.
This is one of my favorite scenes from Gone Baby Gone. Boston in a nutshell.
