Apparently, Everything Is Just Fine With 'The Batman' Script

It’s been nearly two full weeks since Ben Affleck threw in the towel on directing “The Batman,” and a lot has happened. A shortlist of potential replacements has cropped up, details about the first draft of the script have arrived, and it has been suggested that further rewrites beyond Chris Terrio‘s work on Affleck’s and Geoff Johns‘ screenplay could be coming, including a complete overhaul. But Variety reporter Justin Kroll offers a wholly different point of view.

Asked on Twitter about the swirl of rumors surrounding “The Batman,” Kroll said that “everyone,” including Affleck, is happy with the script.

Time for speculation! If the script came in and everyone is jazzed, why isn’t Warner Bros. throwing a release date on the calendar and getting the wheels in motion to start production? Why didn’t Affleck mention anything about the script in his statement about leaving the director’s chair a couple weeks back? The simple answer could be that there is no big conspiracy theory about Affleck’s exit from the director’s chair, and that he would simply prefer to pass the duties on to someone else, so he can focus on playing the title character. The flip side of the coin is that sources talking to a trade about a major, highly anticipated blockbuster movie they may be involved in, might not want to tip their hand that anything is wrong.

I’d put the truth somewhere in the middle. Even if the script is in good shape at the moment, it’s almost certainly set to be tinkered with when a new director signs up, so they can feel comfortable enough to put some stamp on it, however small. And unlike what they’ve done with “The Flash,” for example, Warner Bros. isn’t likely to date “The Batman” until they are absolutely certain they have a director who is going to stick with it, and meet the date. This is one movie they can’t screw up after it’s officially announced, especially in light of the negative perception the DC Films slate as a whole is currently battling.

Thoughts? Let us know below.