Ben Affleck has been taking his sweet time on the Batman solo flick, tentatively titled The Batman, but a recent interview suggests he might be losing interest in directing it…or, even worse, making it at all.
“That’s the idea,” Affleck told The Guardian, when asked about directing The Batman. “But 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.”
Affleck has been working on The Batman script for quite awhile now, always saying it’s in development without offering concrete dates about when the project will move forward. It’s all seemed rather noncommittal, even though the project has been confirmed since July 2016, with Affleck starring and directing. As a result, rumors have since been flying about the script’s quality, along with other behind-the-scenes drama.
There’s still no release date for the film, although Warner Bros reportedly pushed back the Justice League sequel in order to make room for the film. As of now, the script is still very much a work in progress, and we could very well see Affleck lessen his behind-the-scenes involvement over the coming months.
It’s not the first time Affleck has seemed hesitant about making the DC Comics film, which is set to star Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke and is projected to open in 2018. He’s said repeatedly he doesn’t want to force it. Also in December, he told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m not going to write and direct anything that I don’t think is good enough to be made.”
Starring Affleck and Elle Fanning, the period gangster film “Live By Night” opened in limited release on Christmas Day and so far hasn’t made much of an impression. It will have another shot at drawing interest when it opens wide on Jan. 13.
