Ben Affleck's "Batman" film may not be moving forward as quickly as Warner Bros. had hoped. According to Batman-On-Film.com, filming for the upcoming DC Extended Universe movie has been pushed back by "a couple of months."
The report comes from "a longtime BOF source," so it's worth taking with a grain of salt. If the report's claim pans out, though, that means filming will begin mid-summer instead of mid-spring, which calls the film's intended 2018 release date into question.
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However, such a delay shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Affleck himself has recently gone on record to say "it’s not a set thing and there’s no script."
"If it doesn’t come together in a way I think is really great I’m not going to do it,” he said at the time.
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That echoes comments he made just last month that, “I’m not going to write and direct anything that I don’t think is good enough to be made. I’m definitely going to make sure I have something that is special — there’s not enough money in the world to make a mediocre version of Batman worth it.”
While producer Charles Roven recently confirmed Warner Bros. announced its initial DC Films slate without considering “if something goes wrong,” Affleck has consistently insisted he won’t rush development of “The Batman” simply to meet the studio’s announced release date. “I’m a real believer in not reverse engineering projects to meet a window or a date. So, that’s what we’re doing,” he was quoted as saying last month. “[…] I’m really mindful of that. I’m not in any hurry to jam a mediocre film down the pipe.”
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Warner Bros. originally intended to film Affleck's "Batman" movie in spring this year, a sentiment originally shared by Affleck himself. Joe Manganiello, who plays Deathstroke, also seemed to be under the impression that filming would begin in spring 2017. If this is the case, then, a delay will be a major shakeup for the studio's plan and intended DCEU release schedule.
In addition to directing and starring in the Batman film, Affleck is writing the screenplay with DC Entertainment President and COO Geoff Johns. "The Batman" also stars Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke.