Ben Affleck’s Batman Movie(Photo Credit –Facebook)

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Before The Batman with Robert Pattinson entered production, Ben Affleck was brewing a Batman movie of his own. The concept leaned into a shadowy detective atmosphere and would’ve marked a sharp turn in tone for the DCEU. Concatenated closely to Joe Manganiello’s version of Deathstroke, the film was pitched as a gritty and tightly wound psychological tale.

Inspired by David Fincher’s psychological thriller The Game, the scrapped solo film had Deathstroke tearing Bruce Wayne’s life apart, piece by piece. With Affleck set to direct, pen, and star, this version of the Caped Crusader was meant to ditch brawls for psychological warfare. The vision never made it to set, but key details about its blueprint remain.

Batman Script Explored Dark Mind Games With Deathstroke

Ben Affleck’s version of Batman was originally lined up after his appearance in Justice League, and it was intended as a character-led noir thriller. He was attached not only to portray Bruce Wayne but also to write and direct the project. Early outlines of the film painted a stripped-back, grounded story with heavy psychological pressure instead of large-scale action. In this one, Joe Manganiello was expected to return as Deathstroke, following his brief appearance in the end credits of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

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