Ben Affleck's Batman film will be 'original story' independent of comics

Ben Affleck has revealed that his upcoming Batman film will probably tell a completely “original story”, and not be based on an existing comic.

The actor, who starred in Zac Snyder’s critically maligned but commercially successful spring blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, will reprise the role in the character’s new solo outing, as well as write and direct the picture.

He’s also set to play the Dark Knight in two Justice League movies, in which he will team up with Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. It’s rumored that Affleck’s Batman will factor somehow into this summer’s Suicide Squad, which will see Jared Leto play the Joker and is based on the successful DC Comics of the same name.

The as-yet untiled Batman film will mark Affleck’s first stab at directing a superhero picture. His last film as director, 2012’s Argo, won the Oscar for best picture.

Asked if he planned on adapting a classic Batman comic arc such as A Death in the Family or Under the Red Hood, Affleck told Cines Argentinos that he seeks to “borrow certain things from the great comic books, but create an original story around it”, much like Snyder did with Batman v Superman, which very loosely used elements from Frank Miller’s acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns comic.

The Hollywood Reporter suggests Affleck’s Batman could arrive in cinemas for either 5 October 2018 or 1 November 2019 (both dates have been set aside by Warner for unspecified comic book movies).

In other Batman news, Warner Bros has debuted the first trailer for the extended cut of Batman v Superman, which runs a full 30 minutes longer than the theatrical cut and boasts an R-rating (the film that played in theaters was rated PG-13).

The preview includes a glimpse of actor Jena Malone, who was nixed from the version that played in cinemas. The Ultimate Edition will be available on 28 June.