News of ‘The Batman’ with Robert Pattinson is coming in waves, with rumors and insider information making their way to headlines almost every day over the last month or so. On top of that is all the reasons why Ben Affleck walked away from starring, writing, and directing in a solo film of his own making as the Caped Crusader.
At first, recent news circulated that the reason he walked away was due to an alleged excess in his drinking. Affleck went through a variety of personal issues in and out of the film industry and many were worried that he had fallen in a state that could lead to jeopardizing his health. Others figured the real reason he walked away was that DC/WB were screwing things up with their extended universe of films in a desperate effort to catch up to Marvel’s juggernaut franchise. While all the above is all very likely, we at least know there was another factor in Affleck walking away when he revealed he just wasn’t cut out for the job.
“You know big blockbusters are cool and they’re great. But they’re not that fun to make, just on a very practical level, because they’re very long, they’re very compartmentalized, you’re doing one tiny piece at a time. Often times, you’re just feeling like you’re moving your foot a quarter of an inch. They’re hard to continue to motivate yourself, and find your passion. I stepped away from The Batman movie, because I felt like it should be made by someone whose lifelong passion it was, you know what I mean? And if that wasn’t me, then I wasn’t the right guy.”
We don’t blame Affleck at all. After his DareDevil days, the likelihood of him ever stepping into the boots of another superhero role seemed incredibly unlikely, but he surprised and delighted some with his multiple appearances as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DCEU. However, due to poor box office performances and scathing reviews from critics, it seems Affleck has hung up the cape and cowl for good, leaving Pattinson to take up the mantle.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the titular role, releases in 2021.
