Ben Affleck was ready with his Batman script and it was only a matter of time before he’d get to star in his solo film. Unfortunately, fate had some other plans. Since the actor had reservations about the film and some other personal complications, he decided to step away, and in came Matt Reeves. What he produced forth was a film that would go on to receive three nominations at the Academy Awards.
However, when Matt Reeves was first approached for directing The Batman, he was not very fond of the story. While he thought that the take was exciting and valid, it was just not for him. In fact, he even stated that the script felt more like a James Bond story.
Matt Reeves Thought Ben Affleck’s Batman Script Was too “James Bond-ian”
Talking to Esquire Middle East, Matt Reeves revealed that Warner Bros. was hell-bent on trying to get him to direct the new Batman film. While the filmmaker absolutely adores the superhero, he was not very keen on working on the script that Ben Affleck had already written.
Reeves stated,
“I read a script that they had that was a totally valid take on the movie. It was very action driven. It was very deeply connected to the DCEU, with other major characters from other movies and other comics popping up. I just knew that when I read it this particular script was not the way I’d want to do it.”
During this time, Reeves was already in the middle of working on War of the Planet of the Apes. Still, he decided that personally meeting with the studio executives and declining the offer would be better than shutting them down via phone call.
Reeves then told the studios that while their script was great in itself, it was just not made for him. He added that if he were to direct, he’d have to make the film more personal and steer away from the James Bond vibes it was giving.
“I said look, I think maybe I’m not the person for this. And I explained to them why I love this character. I told them that there have been so many great movies, but if I were to do this, I’d have to make it personal, so that I understood what I was going to do with it, so that I know where to put the camera, so that I know what to tell the actors, so that I know what the story should be. This take, I told them, pointing at the script, is a totally valid and exciting take. It is almost James Bond-ian, but it wasn’t something that I quite related to.”
We now know that things ended up working in Reeves’ favor. But what was the story that he wanted to tell and what happened that made him reconsider his original decision?
Matt Reeves’ Plan for Batman
Reeves made it loud and clear that if they wanted him to direct The Batman, they would need to allow him to revamp the script. He simply wanted a film that would be personal to the Caped Crusader.
“So, what I’d love to do, if you’re interested, is I’d like to get involved and find a way to take the story and make it very, very personal and get to the place I want him to be, to make it a Batman story and give him the arc, and have the story rock him to his core. It wasn’t going to be another origin story, not with Ben already in the character. But that’s what I would do.”
However, there was another bump on the road. Since Reeves was well into War of the Planet of the Apes, he was not just going to abandon it midway, even for a Batman film. He narrated his dilemma to the studios who, surprisingly, agreed to wait for him to wrap up his work.
“I said, but here’s the other thing. This is why I think you’re not going to want me to direct this movie. I can’t even tell you what that story is, for months, because I have to finish this Apes movie. And to my utter shock and surprise, they said, ‘you know what, we really would like you to do this. And we will wait.’”
And that’s how WB got Reeves to direct The Batman, which took the superhero world by storm and gave Robert Pattinson yet another unforgettable role to add to his filmography.
You can stream The Batman on Max.
