New concept art reveals an unused suit for Ben Affleck's Batman in his scrapped solo film.
Before actor Robert Pattinson donned the cowl, Affleck was set to reprise his role as the Dark Knight in his own movie set in the DC Extended Universe, titled The Batman, which he would have directed as well. The actor teased that Deathstroke would have been the movie's villain, but the project never became a reality. Concept artist Keith Christensen revealed on Instagram that while Affleck was still attached to the project, he designed a new suit unlike the ones Affleck sported in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).
The front and back views of the suit show that it would have featured an armor-plated look for Batman. Christensen wrote on one of his two posts that he "tried to design a modular, functional suit made from ballistic materials." The armor is reminiscent of the suit from Batman: Arkham Knight, which featured similar grooves and separated plates.
Instead of this version of The Batman, fans received the blockbuster starring Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, which is currently playing in theaters. Director Matt Reeves has revealed details about Affleck's scrapped film though, labeling it as an "action-based James Bondian" story after reading the script. Though Reeves called it a "totally valid take on the story," he admitted that it was something he felt unable to tackle.
Despite not portraying the character in a solo film, Affleck is set to play Batman one more time in The Flash, which has now been delayed again to a new June 2023 release date. Affleck will reportedly only have a minor role in the movie, which will also feature Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) actor Michael Keaton returning to the role of Batman. Though Keaton will be returning, Affleck seems to be done with the hero, and has also said that working on Justice League was the "worst experience" in Jan. 2022.
Keaton is set to be the Caped Crusader again in the upcoming Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace as the titular hero, Barbara Gordon. J.K. Simmons will reprise his role as Commissioner Jim Gordon from the DCEU, which he played alongside Affleck in Justice League and the alternate cut on HBO Max, Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). Videos and photos captured on set have shown Simmons' Gordon interacting with Keaton's Batman, though the hero was being portrayed by a body double on set at the time.
The Batman, directed by Reeves and starring Pattinson and Kravitz, is now playing in theaters. Batgirl does not have an official release date, but prior to other DCEU films being delayed, it was expected to arrive on HBO Max in 2022.
Source: Instagram