A relatively spoiler-free discussion.
Ben Affleck as Batman
Let us be honest: Batfleck deserves more.
Regardless of whether you loathed or loved Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there is no argument to be made against the stellar portrayal of Batman in the film. Of course, the hardcore pedants would be quick to point out that Batman kills in the movie and is therefore not an accurate portrayal of The Dark Knight – to which we will say: go and read the comic book that inspired this particular iteration of The Caped Crusader, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.
It is, without a doubt, indeed a shame that we are yet to see Ben Affleck’s Batman film materialize on screen, given the fact that the script was mostly completed and fans were teased with a test shoot of Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke as the movie’s villain. Not only that, the film’s storyline was heavily rumored to be a live-action Arkham Asylum-inspired narrative, which certainly would have been an exciting spectacle to have witnessed on screen should the movie have been made.
Furthermore, the BvS film showcased plenty of Easter eggs revolving around Batfleck’s character. Whether it was the death of Robin, the destruction of Wayne Manor, or the sudden shift in The Dark Knight’s principles that resulted in him becoming a more brutal vigilante, all of these teases will therefore remain unexplored without a Batfleck film or television show.
In short, there is a substantial amount of promising content left to dive into regarding this incarnation of Batman, thereby warranting the character’s solo outing. If not for the sake of wanting to continue exploring this version of the character, then at least for the sake of completing Affleck’s portrayal of Batman with a proper send-off. Moreover, there still exists a sizeable following of fans for this personification of The Dark Knight, so what is the harm in simply just giving Affleck his solo outing? After all, it would undoubtedly allow the studio to finally tie up an otherwise significant loose end in the DCEU.
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