Fans of the DC Extended Universe should not expect their upcoming movie The Batman for a while, as the current rumor has it the filming will not start until at least 2019.
This comes after other rumors said that the film may begin production sometime this year. If it does begin filming next year, it would likely be ready for the big screen by the middle or end of 2020, for which Warner Bros. has already claimed several release dates.
Truth be told, the idea of The Batman coming out in 2019 was always a bit of a long shot; production issues aside, Warner Bros. has already announced Shazam and Wonder Woman 2 for that year, with the former already filming and the latter beginning pre-production. Trying to squeeze an extra film in at this point would be highly unusual.
Unfortunately, The Batman is already off to a rocky start. Originally set to be directed by Ben Affleck, who also plays the Caped Crusader in this franchise, it is now being led by Matt Reeves, the man behind Cloverfield and War for the Planet of the Apes. While Reeves is talented, some take Affleck’s departure from the role as a bad sign, especially since he once stated that he would leave the project if the script was bad.
Despite initial doubts, Affleck proved to be quite popular as an older, world-weary Batman when he premiered in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; despite that film’s many controversial decisions, including with Batman’s characterization, his acting won over many fans.
However, Affleck has indicated that he is already tiring of this part, especially as none of the DCEU films (bat Wonder Woman) can be called an unqualified success at this point, and many are wondering if he will actually stay on to star in the upcoming film. (Some rumors say that Jake Gyllenhaal has been eyed as a replacement.)
As it stands, Reeves is said to be working on rewriting the initial script that Affleck co-wrote with DC Comics’ Geoff Johns, and has said this his version will be a neo-noir that will emphasize Batman’s detective skills. He has also confirmed that the movie will be part of the DCEU franchise, despite Warner Bros. announcing other DC Comics adaptations not set in that universe.
