Warner Bros. confirms it: Ben Affleck is directing a standalone 'Batman' film
LAS VEGAS -- Tell me, Ben Affleck ... do you direct comic-book movies? You WILL.
Warner Bros. is moving forward with a standalone Batman film with Affleck at the helm -- if studio head Kevin Tsujihara is to be believed.
During his opening remarks at the Warners' presentation at Cinemacon, Tsujihara said the studio was excited to be going ahead with the film, which has long been rumored but never confirmed -- as well as an Aquaman movie by James Wan.
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Affleck hinted at the project -- if obliquely -- during a press conference last month for Batman v Superman, acknowledging that he'd learned a lot from director Zack Snyder during the making of the film.
But on Monday, he took the CinemaCon stage with all mystery blown to smithereens.
"It's been tremendously exciting for us to be a part of the DC Universe, and we're looking forward to working on Justice League," said Affleck, who appeared with BvS co-star Amy Adams shortly after Tsujihara's remarks.
It was a timely vote of confidence for Warner Bros.' DC Comics plans, which were prematurely called into question by many outlets after critics torched Batman v Superman and audiences scattered following a huge opening weekend.
BvS director Zack Snyder appeared via video link along with Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and other cast from London, where they're about to start production on Justice League. Warners also showed a long sizzle reel that included footage from director Patty Jenkins' upcoming Wonder Woman -- most of which we've seen in a featurette from this year (below) -- mixed in with the latest trailer for Suicide Squad.
The point: All these DC Comics films do in fact connect, a point that was driven home by both the footage and the executives onstage.
Related, but not really connected: The Lego Batman Movie, from which we were shown a brief, never-before-seen sequence of Batman meeting Robin. In this case, the Boy Wonder is some kid that Batman offhandedly "adopted at the gala last night," who is now freely roaming the halls (and basement) of Wayne Manor.
Suffice to say, the moment he realizes where he is, and who his new father is, is the closest thing to putting fans in the movie.
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Topics DC Comics
Josh Dickey is Mashable's Entertainment Editor, leading Mashable's TV, music, gaming and sports reporters as well as writing movie features and reviews.Josh has been the Film Editor at Variety, Entertainment Editor at The Associated Press and Managing Editor at TheWrap.com.A finalist for the Los Angeles Press Club's Best Entertainment Feature in 2015 for "Everyone is Altered: The Secret Hollywood Procedure that Fooled Us for Years," Josh received his BA in Journalism from The University of Minnesota.In between screenings, he can be found skating longboards, shredding guitar and wandering the streets of his beloved downtown Los Angeles.
