Ben Affleck out as director of The Batman: Who should take the helm?

Allyson Johnson

7 years ago

Oof.

The WB seemingly continues to struggle with keeping it’s talent bound to their directorial duties, be it for scheduling conflicts or just conflicts of creative interest and while it seemed at least a sure thing that Ben Affleck would stay committed to directing the upcoming Batman solo movie that he’d be starring in, it was announced yesterday that he would be stepping down. After abysmal reviews and a near catastrophic box office for his latest film Live By Night, perhaps he’s just a touch burnt out.

Speculation for a later date.

In the meantime, check out who we here thought would be fitting choices to take on the Dark Knight. Let us know in the comments below who you’d like to see take over.

Zack Synder

Ok, can we be real for a second? Warner Bros’ DC cinematic universe is garbage. Hot garbage. Unsalvageable garbage, at this point. We all pointed the finger at Zack Snyder as being the garbage man, but Suicide Squad came out and since Snyder didn’t direct that trash, we know now that he’s not the source of the garbage. WB is.

So you know what, why not let Snyder just make the Batman movie too? Screw it, right? How bad can he really make it compared to Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice? Haven’t we gotten to the point yet where we all know what we’re getting out of a DC film? It’s going to be a hot mess of non-fleshed-out characters, disjointed plot threads and hackneyed dialogue broken up with stylized punchfest action sequences that will lend themselves to good YouTube clips a few months after the blu-ray comes out. Snyder is the epitome of style over substance, and say what you want about the guy, but he can at least deliver on some badass eye-candy shots (that’s how he’s able to trick us with a tantalizing trailer every time). So come on, WB, just put Snyder back at the helm and give us two hours of Ben Affleck punching thugs in slow motion, because that’s the only enjoyment we can get out of you trash people anyway. – Alexander Suffolk

Taylor Sheridan

I can’t believe I have to do this. Ben Affleck’s self-made Batman movie was basically the only thing giving me hope for the DCEU. Sure, he’s sticking around to star and produce but I was positive that his direction would infuse that final layer of passion into the film. Hence, we must find a replacement and Hell Or High Water screenwriter Taylor Sheridan is just the man to do it.

I happened to catch Wind River, Sheridan’s directorial debut, at Sundance and it confirmed everything that I’ve already admired about him. His strongest suit behind both the pen and the camera is his ability to build character and setting. Gotham City needs to have a distinct culture among not just the key players but the average people as well. Sheridan makes the world of his films feel full while also creating great rapport between his characters. He incorporates a great deal of comedy but it is all completely naturalistic. They’re not quips. They’re rooted in the natural camaraderie between two characters. I would love for Batman and Gordon to have a relationship akin to Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). Sheridan also makes every moment of violence count. Every gunshot is jarring and every casualty is impactful. He’s also, as he puts it, “allergic to exposition” meaning that he would likely not rehash the origin of Batman at all. – Michael Fairbanks

Jeremy Saulnier

After the bruising and nightmarish Green Room, a film that conversely took place largely in shadows, director Jeremy Saulnier seems primed for a big breakout hit after his latest took critics by storm. Showcasing a knack for realistic violence and action sequences while also an innate understanding on how to stir up a probing sense of dread, Saulnier would be a perfect fit for a Batman that wanted to darker than ever before and not just in the diluted sense of the word that Zach Snyder is so fond of. Not afraid of embracing color and vibrancy, Saulnier would no doubt create a picture both visually grotesque and haunting while aslo doubling down on the pathos of the Bruce Wayne character. –Allyson Johnson

Edgar Wright

Edgar Wright, with his distinct visual style and knack for subtle humor, would be a perfect choice to direct any superhero movie. His shadow loomed large over Ant Man – to the point where when I watched it, I kept wondering how he would shoot certain scenes. Choosing Wright would also give DC a chance to do something different with Batman. After nearly 3 decades of grimdark Caped Crusaders gracing the screen (with the exception of Clooney), it would be nice to see the franchise return to something lighter. After all, there’s something inherently ridiculous about an ordinary rich guy with no powers and a ton of gadgets playing detective while wearing a bat costume.

Putting Edgar Wright in the director’s chair would give Warner the chance to make the film that Batman & Robin failed to be: A goofy and self-aware, but faithful, tribute to the character (and the 1960s TV show) that could be their slightly more serious answer to Deadpool. Many of the people who flocked to see Deadpool were sick and tired of recent trends in comic book films, and it would be wise for DC to engage with that audience. I mean, what other options do they have at this point? – Ryan Gibbs

Jennifer Kent

With all of the wonderful, female lead horror movies coming out in recent years, why not allow one of those talented filmmakers take on the solo Batman project, especially if WB is trying to keep with the somber tone that Snyder cast for all proceeding films? Jennifer Kent, the director of the fabulously upsetting The Babadook was heralded as one to watch upon the films release and where her male counterparts would have been boosted into the big leagues following such a success, she pursued similar indie fare. With her inventive approach to shooting horror and suspense, she could create a world as close to the visual appearance of the comic books themselves than any film in the franchise has thus far. – Allyson Johnson

Gareth Evans

If you were to ask me what the best action movie of the current decade is, I’d give you two choices to pick from: The Raid: Redemption or The Raid 2. Either one would work, since both are streets ahead of any of Hollywood’s output of modern action movies (maybe John Wick comes close). This is the majesty of Welsh writer/director Gareth Evans, who combined grisled crime drama with Indonesian martial arts to international success. However, he’s cinephiles’ dirty little secret and had yet to make a major debut stateside, lord he knows he deserves it. If any franchise deserves a swift kick in the ass, it’s certainly the Caped Crusader and Evans could do wonders to make Batman look badass again. While Affleck and Geoff Johns seemingly have the screenplay locked down, it couldn’t hurt to let Evans shine it up a bit, maybe add some character depth or make a more imposing villain. But Evans knows how to build tension, setting up scenes on a hair trigger waiting for the first fist to fly. He’s patient with his characters and would rather see a man inches away from death fight 10 guys from the ground up instead of an invincible juggernaut demolish cities (*cough* Man of Steel *cough*). But the fight scenes…..lord almighty, the potential from this guy. Obviously it might be silly to see Batman fight in the Pencak Silat style, but Evans could do so much with the canvas of Batman’s universe. Still, seeing Batman and Deathstroke fight like this? Sign me the hell up. Or better yet, sign HIM the hell up. – Jon Winkler

Jennifer Phang

In fairness, anytime ANY film comes up in need of a director I’m just about shouting at the top of my lungs for Jennifer Phang to be considered due to remarkable and still largely overlooked 2015 film Advantageous. With a keen eye for simplistic beauty and slightly futuristic settings, presenting a world just far removed enough from ours to play out in an unsettling fashion, she might be an off kilter choice as a director but with her style and dexterity behind the lens she could create something transcendent. A character known for his doom and gloom (at least in the film adaptations) Phang could keep a hold of that signature darkness while simultaneously injecting a sense of greater thematic exploration as we take a closer look at what makes the man under the cape and cowl tick. – Allyson Johnson

Julie Taymor

One of the main problems with the modern superhero movie is that they’re all VERY similar to each other with regards to story beats and aesthetic choices. If the DC film universe wants to set the Ben Affleck Batman movie apart from the 10+ other live action/animated Batman movies, they’re going to need to do something radically different and create a departure from what’s become the norm. My answer? Get Julie Taymor to direct. She already has experience translating comics to a different medium, as shown by the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. But more importantly, Taymor would bring style to a genre that’s definitely lacking in it. Taymor’s filmography is known for it’s striking visuals, lush colors, and bold choices, pushing the envelope as far as possible. Imagine a Batman film that combines the aesthetics of Across the Universe with the hyperviolence of Titus, a Batman film that revels in the excesses of Gotham and the innate camp of the concept. Even if it turns out to be awful, it’ll certainly breathe some much-needed new life into the genre. – Katie Gill

Alfonso Cuaron

Alfonso Cuaron might just be one of our most versatile directors working today and he hardly gets enough credit for that fact alone. Having directed epic science fiction, fantasy book adaptations of mystical coming of age stories, he’s dabbled in just about every major genre and one he’s yet to touch is the superhero blockbuster, something that with the right character he could excel with. Think Batman but in a world that has an atmosphere more closely linked with Children of Men than with anything Snyder or Christopher Nolan has created thus far. The grittiness that these films so desperately want to capture will stay but now with an auteur behind the camera. – Allyson Johnson

Denis Villaneuve

After passive aggressively threatening to leave on Jimmy Fallon, it looks like Ben Affleck has kept his word and left the directing chair for his solo Batman movie (what a big surprise). There are so many potential blockbuster directors to take his place, but Warner Brothers should go with a director who knows how to bring both a great story and visuals to the screen: Denis Villeneuve. Ever since his film Incendies got nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, Villeneuve has become one of the most in demand directors in Hollywood.

He would be a great fit for Batman because he has worked primarily in genre films. People love Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight because it doesn’t feel like a typical superhero film; The story and characters are so rich and focuses on the tension between The Joker and Bruce Wayne. Villeneuve has already accomplished this in previous films, but it’s even more ambitious in his most recent film, Arrival. Moviegoers thought Arrival was going to be an explosion-heavy science fiction film, but instead, it was a slow burn that focused on character.

Batman has always been a layered character and needs a director who will do him justice. In his previous films, characters such as Alejandro and Keller Dover have good intentions but fulfill them in questionable ways. If Villeneuve can capture Batman the way that he has with those characters, then he could make a great Batman movie. – Yasmin Kleinbart