There is no doubt that everyone involved with “The Batman” wants to get it right. To that end, it’s not a big surprise that Ben Affleck took it upon himself to co-write the script with DC Films honcho Geoff Johns. However, with Affleck sliding out of the director’s chair, it meant that whoever came on board to helm the picture would likely want to have some creative input on the solo superhero movie. And indeed, Matt Reeves is starting from scratch.
Appearing on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, the filmmaker made it clear that Affleck and Johns’ screenplay is being binned. “No. It’s a new story. It’s just starting again. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be really cool,” he explained.
READ MORE: 5 Reasons Why Ben Affleck Wisely Bailed On Directing ‘The Batman’
So why is Reeves intent on putting his own mark on “The Batman,” beyond ensuring he has some fingerprints on the material? Speaking with Uproxx, he explains that if the movie doesn’t work, he at least wants to know that it was on entirely his own terms, and not because he was using someone else’s material.
“I can fail for every single reason because of myself,” he said. “I don’t want to fail because of something that I don’t believe in in the first place – because I’m not going to know how to do it. I can respect that somebody else might know exactly how to do it. Like there are plenty of things that I’m not the right director for and I love to go see those movies. I love to see what people can do. But I can only do what I can do, and so I have to work from that perspective for self-preservation. It’s not out of any kind of like, ‘My way or the highway!’ It’s because that’s the way I have to do it for me to feel confident in my choices.”
Sounds like Reeves has a strong head on his shoulders, and it’s probably why DC Films has faith his vision is what they need. His next film, “War For The Planet Of The Apes,” opens this weekend. [JoBlo/ComingSoon]