JLA Movie (Rumors): Ben Affleck next Batman & Director (Update: Ben passes on WB)

Update:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/ben...ays-no/#utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Deadline reporting Ben Affleck, at least on the Director role, has passed on Warner Bros' offer to direct a possible Justice League movie.

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http://screenrant.com/ben-affleck-justice-league-director/

Yesterday Disney and Marvel Studios happily announced that Joss Whedon, the man behind The Avengers, will be back to not only write and direct its sequel, but will be overseeing Phase Two of the Marvel cinematic universe (which will also include a live-action TV series) for the next three years.

The big headline-stealing, buzz-generating announcements keep coming from Marvel Studios, but for Warner Bros., it’s been a challenging path to begin organizing live-action feature films for their DC Comics lineup into something that can compete at the same game. They’re taking steps in the right direction to make that happen and their answer to Joss Whedon’s signing may to bring in Ben Affleck to helm Justice League.

Variety has the scoop from several inside sources which inform them that Affleck is the only directorial candidate to have been sent Will Beall’s Justice League screenplay and that he will be chatting with Warner Bros. over the next few days. Affleck, having only begun is major feature film directing career with 2007′s Gone Baby Gone also wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated The Town (2010) for Warner Bros., along with the upcoming Argo which he also helmed.

Even with only a few features under his belt, Affleck has proven he can handle ensemble casts in action and drama, and his working relationship with Warner Bros. almost had him taking on Man of Steel previously. One of the sticking points to him directing the film is that he wants to be apart of the cast. Affleck could be in front of the camera in this one as well since he’s starred in the last two features he directed.

Have we found our new Bruce Wayne? Funny enough, Affleck was rumored for the part 13 years ago.

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Interestingly, Ben Affleck played Marvel's Daredevil back in 2003.

He's a great director IMO--loved Gone Baby Gone and the Town.

So I'd like to see what he could do with a Justice League film. Hopefully it would be more serious/gritty than The Avengers. I liked The Avengers, but prefer more serious movies like Nolan's Batman films.

I think he'd be good in the Batman/Bruce Wayne role too.

Eh?

He was good in Daredevil. I don't know if he can handle the JL.

Hoo boy, this does not bode well for the movie if does turn out to be true. I cannot see him as any of the main Justice League members, and frankly, that is a good thing.

I want this movie to happen, but they really need to plan it out a little bit more before choosing a director and actors, maybe planning some lead-in movies and going through several scripts first.

I'm fine with Affleck as a director and writer since he's proven himself. I Just don't like DC's method of BIG Justice League movie first THEN movies focusing on each individual hero or whomever tests better. That and it's damn near impossible to think of this or any film with Superman to be gritty in anyway, which is totally fine because when you add in the other team members it just doesn't work. It works with Batman because his universe is so specific in the DC storytelling plane, but add anything else and it kinda falls apart.

Me too. I wouldn't mind that Affleck is the director. Besides, Matt Damon does all the writing work.

Of the movies I've seen him direct, he's 2 for 2. In fact, Affleck is potentially a much better writer/director than he is an actor IMO.

You know who's not 2 for 2, Joss Whedon. I actually like the guy and like most of his work (except the musicals and Dollhouse was terrible IMO). Still, Marvel/Disney is betting a ton on a guy with a very strong cult following perhaps, but besides Avengers has no real mainstream success. I honestly hope the gamble pays off, but I have some reservations.

Oh please tell me this isn't true. If he wants to direct, fine, but stay the hell out of the movie as an actor.

Don't think Ive ever seen any of this directed films. No clue why his name would come up with directing any comic adaptation, even do he was the Daredevil (which IMO sucked).

But besides that,a Justice League movie doesn't catch my attention right now. I rather they take a swing at a Batman/Superman film, a'la "Worlds Finest" where its just them 2 getting acquainted, back and forth banter until at the end, they get along just enough to form the Justice league.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7zD5lVNMPk&feature=youtu.be&t=2m19s

You should watch Gone Baby Gone and The Town, both fantastic movies.

And some great shoot outs in The Town, so he can handle action scenes.

Acting wise I think he gets under rated as he's made so many terrible decisions about what roles to take. But when he's in something actually good--like Hollywoodland--he's pretty damn good IMO. While Daredevil wasn't a great movie, he was solid in it. So he can play a super hero well.

So I would be excited to see him direct a super hero movie, and not at all opposed to him having a role in it. He more looks the part of Clark Kent/Superman than Bruce Wayne/Batman to me though. But maybe that's just from having played George Reeves in Hollywoodland.

With the JLA movie, I don't know how they're going to get around the whole "Superman can do everything" problem.

Kryptonite.

Well, phew, (Final) Crisis averted. I've seen both Gone Baby Gone and The Town, and they're decent movies. Nothing special in my mind.

I don't doubt Ben Affleck's ability to direct. Instead I have doubts that any director, even the most talented, would have the ability to mesh a movie in which the characters have such drastically divergent tones. I just can't imagine this movie will be able to be made under the shadow of a post-Nolan Dark Knight trilogy. There's no way that Batman works as part of a Justice League movie, not even a little. So basically you have to scrap that but how do you just ignore the most successful Batman related franchise in history? Handling Batman with relation to Justice League has absolutely provided DC with the biggest catch-22 in accomplishing that movie.

Then you've got the fact that they're already deeply involved in the Superman reboot which could potentially have some built-in Justice League hooks but given how late into production Avengers success had DC licking their chops, I doubt there could be any significant building toward a Justice League movie.

Green Lantern was more or less a complete failure and Ryan Reynolds has started doing Deadpool so they'd pretty much have to sacrifice that movie/version of the character as well as. The last information on Green Lantern I could find was about a year ago involving the direction of the script so it's probable that they've already moved on anyway.

The biggest problem they're facing is that they would more or less have to completely ignore their last 8 years of DC movies and create brand new characters/actors (and thus complete re-boots, again).

Can they throw piles of cash at any project to make a Justice League movie? Absolutely. Will it be Avengers-successful? Not a ing chance. They'll force it, hurry it through, and end up with another Green Lantern-type debacle. I can't imagine what director/writer would want to step into that shitstorm but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they tried to make Kevin Smith their very own Joss Whedon. I just hope he has the sense to stay far, far away from what I can only imagine will be a completely ham-fisted studio directed project. My guess? They're gonna end up with one of the hollywood-whore directors, mostly devoid of any artistic talent who agree to do any big project after being presented a large stack of cash, like Michael Bay or Brett Ratner.

I think that's all true. I think they'd be best to reboot Batman first since the Nolan Batman wouldn't work in JL, and Nolan has said he didn't want any JL tie ins to his Batman world.

So better to go the Marvel route and put out some individual character movies first. Man of Steel is already coming, at least reboot Batman too before doing a JL movie.

Anyway, I'm not sure I'm all that interested in it anyway. Avengers (and the Marvel movies--the Iron Man ones in particular) was an entertaining enough mindless popcorn action flick. I enjoyed it, but it's not something I get super stoked for like Nolan's Batman films that are probably the only comic based movies I view as truly excellent films rather than just mindless entertainment.

[quote name='camoor']With the JLA movie, I don't know how they're going to get around the whole "Superman can do everything" problem.[/QUOTE]
They'll do what they always do, whip out the kryptonite. I swear you'd think that stuff was about as rare as aluminum with how easy it is to get. Honestly I think a Superman/Batman team up would be best right now, do World's Finest. They can even use Lex Luthor again, make him and Bruce business rivals to get Bats involved, then go from there.

Anyway, if given enough control, Kevin Smith could probably do it right, dude is a huge comic nerd. I just doubt that WB would let him have enough control over it.