Well, scratch one candidate off the list for “The Batman.”
As you know, Ben Affleck vacated the director’s chair on the brewing solo outing for his take on The Dark Knight, leaving open of the biggest job vacancies in Hollywood at the moment. Hope shone in the sky last week, when it was revealed that “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” director Matt Reeves was in talks for the project, but it seems the deal couldn’t be sealed.
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THR reports that talks have broken down, and while they say everyone could come back to the table to talk again, it sounds like the split was a bit heated. So it’s likely back to the drawing board, with the only other names floated so far being Ridley Scott (who has long been chilly on the genre, and has previously turned down superhero opportunities) and “Don’t Breathe” helmer Fede Alvarez (who actually turned down Marvel because he didn’t want to have his creative control compromised). So yeah, don’t hold your breath for either of them.
As Warner Bros. continues to work through the turmoil on this project, one has to wonder if the director will be make or break when it comes to Affleck sticking with the franchise or not. With rumors that he wants to bail on the role, I can certainly see a scenario where WB is eager to get a respected auteur behind the camera to please Affleck, and keep him on board. So I won’t be surprised if we start hearing more big names being tossed around soon.