Despite what you think reading our articles or listening to the podcast, we here at The Movie Bit really want Warner Bros. to succeed with their DC Comics Extended Universe. We really do. They have everything at their disposal to make it work, from a talented cast to some very fine directors, but everything related to the DCEU has been far from stellar so far. Behind the scenes, it’s an even bigger shit show, with rumours of failed scripts and executives not giving a damn to multiple directors coming on board for the various projects. But the one light at the end of the tunnel it seemed, the one thing that audiences held onto no matter how much they hated Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, was Ben Affleck on board as director and star of The Batman. Despite early detractors, his Dark Knight is the one element of the DCEU people universally love, and him directing a Batman solo movie was the cherry on top. But now it looks like we don’t even have that anymore.
According to Variety, Affleck has chosen to step down as director of the project, despite assurances a few weeks back that he was still on board and just needed to get the script right. His official statement is as follows, and does suggest he made the right choice as it seems he just doesn’t have the passion for it anymore:
“There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions. Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world.”
This is just another blow to the DCEU that Warner Bros. doesn’t really need right now. Sure, the project is still a go with Affleck still the name above the title, but all these problems just compound it’s existing problems and diminish it in the eyes of its intended audience. Just last week, news broke that The Flash solo movie was getting complete page one rewrite after two directors had already passed on the project. Rumours persist that Wonder Woman is a mess, though I’m inclined to agree with director Patty Jenkins that this is just misinformation. But the fact that it exists will always put that nugget of doubt in an audience’s mind. We’ve seen it with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad failing to break the Billion dollar barrier any studio needs a big tentpole release like these to shatter (all three movies combined have made $2 billion, which is nothing to sneeze at, but no where near what main competitor, Marvel Studios, is pulling in). Bad reviews and behind the scenes rumblings of problems severely hurt them. The future is very dim for the DCEU right now, but because of the wealth of weird, wonderful and downright iconic characters in the DC Comics cannon, I find myself hoping against hope it can turn itself around. We’ll just have to wait and see what the coming years hold.
According to Variety, Affleck has chosen to step down as director of the project, despite assurances a few weeks back that he was still on board and just needed to get the script right. His official statement is as follows, and does suggest he made the right choice as it seems he just doesn’t have the passion for it anymore:
“There are certain characters who hold a special place in the hearts of millions. Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world.”
This is just another blow to the DCEU that Warner Bros. doesn’t really need right now. Sure, the project is still a go with Affleck still the name above the title, but all these problems just compound it’s existing problems and diminish it in the eyes of its intended audience. Just last week, news broke that The Flash solo movie was getting complete page one rewrite after two directors had already passed on the project. Rumours persist that Wonder Woman is a mess, though I’m inclined to agree with director Patty Jenkins that this is just misinformation. But the fact that it exists will always put that nugget of doubt in an audience’s mind. We’ve seen it with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad failing to break the Billion dollar barrier any studio needs a big tentpole release like these to shatter (all three movies combined have made $2 billion, which is nothing to sneeze at, but no where near what main competitor, Marvel Studios, is pulling in). Bad reviews and behind the scenes rumblings of problems severely hurt them. The future is very dim for the DCEU right now, but because of the wealth of weird, wonderful and downright iconic characters in the DC Comics cannon, I find myself hoping against hope it can turn itself around. We’ll just have to wait and see what the coming years hold.
