Ben Affleck’s Scrapped THE BATMAN Movie Would Have Killed Off a Major Character, Introduced Batgirl, and Unleashed Deathstroke
Ben Affleck had some pretty wild plans for his abandoned The Batman movie, and thanks to Joe Manganiello, we're finally getting a better idea of just how brutal his take on the Dark Knight would have been. We're talking about the murder of a major Batman character, Batgirl's introduction to the DCEU, and Deathstroke tearing Bruce Wayne's world apart.
Manganiello recently shared new details about the canceled DC movie in his book, Bloodlines, revealing a dark revenge thriller that would have pushed Batman to his breaking point.
Fans might remember when Affleck surprised everyone by posting test footage of Deathstroke during the production of Justice League. At the time, Affleck was developing a standalone Batman movie that he planned to write, direct, produce, and star in, with Manganiello cast as the deadly assassin Slade Wilson.
The movie would have followed the events of Justice League, which originally featured Lex Luthor revealing Batman's secret identity to Deathstroke. Luthor wanted revenge after being locked away in Arkham Asylum, and giving Slade the information he needed to target Bruce Wayne was part of that plan.
Of course, Joss Whedon eventually took over from Zack Snyder for the film's reshoots, and the ending was changed to tease the formation of the Injustice League instead.
According to Manganiello, Affleck envisioned "a superhero version of David Fincher's The Game," with Deathstroke determined to "dismantle Batman’s entire life."
The reason behind Slade's vendetta was personal. He had been manipulated into believing Batman was responsible for killing his son, sending him on a mission to destroy everything Bruce Wayne cared about.
His revenge would have gotten incredibly ugly, starting with the murder of Commissioner James Gordon, played by J.K. Simmons. Deathstroke would also have infiltrated the Batcave and taken Alfred Pennyworth hostage, leaving Bruce with almost no safe place to turn.
Gordon's murder would seemingly have motivated his daughter, Barbara Gordon, to become Batgirl, bringing the DC heroine into the DCEU for the first time. She would have joined Batman in his fight against Deathstroke, but the two heroes would have found themselves seriously outmatched.
Manganiello describes a major action sequence in which "Deathstroke would nearly kill both Batman and Batgirl before they would both escape via an aboveground train."
The movie would have eventually built toward a "climactic one-on-one showdown through the streets of Gotham." Affleck was reportedly drawing inspiration from the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, suggesting a vicious, physically punishing fight between Batman and Deathstroke.
Manganiello was clearly excited about the project and believed Affleck had what it took to deliver something special. He recalled, "It sounded good to me. I told Ben how great I thought his films were, especially The Town, and how I was really looking forward to seeing his Best Picture version of a Batman movie."
However, Manganiello also recognized just how much Affleck was taking on by handling nearly every major creative responsibility himself. "Is there another comp of this size where one person has worn all those hats? What, Mel [Gibson] with Braveheart maybe? And that wasn’t close to this big."
Affleck wasn't particularly concerned about the challenge, responding, "Yeah, I know…But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. You’re in good hands, man."
Unfortunately, the movie never made it into production. Affleck eventually stepped away from the project amid personal struggles and growing frustration with his experience playing Batman, particularly following the troubled production and reshoots of Justice League.
Warner Bros. subsequently brought in Matt Reeves to direct The Batman. There was initially a possibility that Affleck would remain in the lead role, but the project eventually evolved into a separate DC story starring Robert Pattinson as a younger Bruce Wayne in the second year of his crimefighting career.
While Reeves delivered his own gritty interpretation of Gotham City, Affleck's original vision sounds like it could have been something pretty awesome.
A Batman movie featuring Deathstroke systematically destroying Bruce Wayne's life, the death of Commissioner Gordon, Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl, and a brutal final confrontation sounds like a hell of a good story.
It's a shame we'll never get to see Affleck and Manganiello bring that vision to life, especially after all the excitement surrounding Deathstroke's original reveal.
Source: EW