Ben Affleck’s tenure as Batman began with 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While audiences were initially skeptical of him playing the cape crusader, fans appreciated the subtlety and charisma he brought to the role. He reprised the role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Suicide Squad, and The Flash.
Affleck was supposed to direct a solo Batman film that would have followed after the end of Justice League and had Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke. Unfortunately, the film was canceled and instead, Matt Reeves made The Batman. In 2020, Manganiello reflected on the dark tone of the canceled film and how it was heavily influenced by David Fincher’s film The Game.
Ben Affleck’s Cancelled Batman Film Was A Psychological Thriller Inspired by The Game
Back in 2016, Ben Affleck was ecstatic about making his solo Batman film that he would write and direct. The actor was very gung-ho about how his take on the caped crusader would be vastly different from the previous interpretations of the character. However, the chaotic production of Justice League disillusioned him from making a whole Batman film.
Various details of the film have since emerged with storyboard artist Jay Oliva declaring “It was the best. It was amazing”. Oliva further detailed how the film was “tying together a lot of really cool Batman storylines that had never been really explored” (via Entertainment Weekly). Deathstroke (played by Joe Manganiello), who was introduced in the end credits of Justice League, was supposed to play the main antagonist of the film.
In a 2020 interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Manganiello revealed that the script of the canceled Batman film had similarities to David Fincher’s The Game. The solo film would have had Deathstroke destroying Batman’s life by killing everyone close to him as revenge for his past actions. The Magic Mike star said,
There were similarities to The Game. It was a really dark story in which Deathstroke was like a shark or a horror movie villain that was dismantling Bruce’s life from the inside out. It was this systemic thing: He killed everyone close to Bruce and destroyed his life to try and make him suffer because he felt that Bruce was responsible for something that happened to him.
In The Game, Nicholas’ (Michael Douglas) life turns upside down when he reluctantly accepts to play a game. He loses everything and is forced to run for his life (with a mysterious organization out to kill him) as the line between a playful prank and real life begins to blur. The similarities are evident and just like The Game, Affleck’s Batman film could have been a tense and unpredictable thriller that showed Batman at his most vulnerable form.
Zack Snyder Prefers Ben Affleck’s Batman Over Christian Bale
Ben Affleck played Bruce Wayne/ Batman in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and his cut of Justice League. The director is a big fan of the actor and feels that his towering height and his muscular physique make him the definite Batman. Snyder elaborated on this aspect in an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
The director revealed that Affleck was 6’4 and also had a bulky physique as he had put on some muscle for the role. When he was in costume, Affleck had an intimidating presence, and that made him Snyder’s favorite Batman over Christian Bale who is shorter and leaner compared to Affleck. The director said,
Affleck’s 6’4″, you know? He’s a legit big dude. And the shoes, the boots are like two inches, so he’s literally almost 6’6″ in the costume. When he comes out in the costume — I mean, we put some muscle on him, and there’s a muscle suit under the suit, and he’s, legitimately, a scary-looking thing.
You know, he’s just standing there, and you’re like, ‘Holy sh*t.’ Like, dude… the chin is so insane, in that cowl. I mean, look at him… he’s legitimately… that’s Batman to me. He’s a great Batman, but he’s still, like, you know, 5’10.
Affleck’s final portrayal as Batman was in 2023’s The Flash, where he got a badass yet bittersweet role in the film. The actor has now moved on from the character and is returning to another franchise with The Accountant 2. Affleck will reprise his role as Christian Wolff and it will hit theatres on April 25, 2025.
Fans can watch/rent The Game on Apple TV+.
