Matt Reeves’ The Batman starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader has become a critical and commercial success for all the right reasons. Staying faithful to some of the critically acclaimed comic books such as Batman: Earth One, Batman: Ego, No Man’s Land, and a few others, The Batman is a cinematic masterpiece that captures the detective essence of the Dark Knight in a neo-noir fashion. However, the director’s decision to keep it gritty and grounded has surely let down a few fans who wanted more fantastical differing from the realism inspired by Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy.
As the latest actor to take up the mantle of the Caped Crusader, Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman has received critical acclaim for being faithful to the source material. Moreover, Pattinson’s Dark Knight explores the detective side of the character instead of going fists out, a far cry from the previous live-action adaptations of Batman. Though Pattinson surely shines as an amateur vigilante in a realistic setting, that is exactly the reason why Ben Affleck’s Batman should return once again to showcase the Dark Knight in a different light.
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Why Ben Affleck’s Batman Should Make His Return?
After the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck was in talks to direct and star in a solo Batman movie. While the plan has been shelved for multiple reasons, including Affleck’s personal issues, the script has been praised by director Matt Reeves. According to Reeves, Affleck’s Batman film was action-packed and was James Bond-esque in nature, that would have surely made the fans happy considering Affleck’s expertise behind the camera. Moreover, Affleck’s Batman, more popularly called as ‘Batfleck’ has been a fan-favorite despite having limited screen time.
When Matt Reeves was roped in to direct The Batman, Robert Pattinson replaced Ben Affleck. Also, Reeves demanded his iteration of Batman to be set in a different universe, away from aliens and ancient warriors. While The Batman has been a resounding success for its gritty realism, it’s time for fans to have a taste of a grizzled veteran Dark Knight taking down the extraterrestrial and the superhuman.
Ben Affleck’s Batman And The Snyderverse
Considering that the DCEU is soon exploring the multiverse with the upcoming The Flash, there is no reason to not have multiple Dark Knights in the continuity. With Pattinson’s Batman set in an entirely different universe, the main DCEU continuity can still function with Ben Affleck at the helm. After Zack Snyder’s Justice League received critical acclaim upon its release, the argument to bring back Batfleck once again into the fold is further emboldened. With fans having witnessed the never-seen-before agility and imposing physique of Batman in live-action, Affleck’s iteration of the Dark Knight is more suitable for an expanded universe consisting of metahumans and otherworldly beings.
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While Matt Reeves is keen to build his Bat-Verse to bring in popular characters from the Dark Knight’s mythos, it is extremely unlikely that the director will ever consider otherworldly characters in his grounded universe. However, DCEU’s main continuity and the Snyderverse is prime for return to showcase a more evolved Batman in a larger universe full of aliens, metahumans, and cosmic threats.
The Batman is now playing in theaters.
