The overwhelming amount of criticism that struck Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was unfortunate for many reasons. Since it’s one of the very first installments in the DC Cinematic Universe, the severe blow from critics that it received made the entire operation get off on uneven footing.
Thankfully, one of the film’s redeeming factors was Ben Affleck’s superb portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The Caped Crusader has been played by many of Hollywood’s finest actors, with the most recent one being Christian Bale in The Dark Knight trilogy. But since those films are not technically connected to the new DC movie world, a new actor was required. And Affleck, a man who has had quite a career (with some real shit choices redeemed by great directing and better acting choices), blew audiences away with his darkly fascinating performance. Not only that, the actor has other plans surrounding his continued involvement in future DC installments. His biggest upcoming venture is the hugely anticipated Batman standalone movie that he’s directing, co-writing, and starring in.
During the jam-packed months of the blockbuster summer, a report revealed that the standalone film would be set in the notorious Arkham Asylum. Known for its frequent imprisonment of Batman’s violent enemies, the setting seems ideal for a live-action film. But a recent teaser revealed that one of the film’s villains would be in fact be the mighty Deathstroke (played by Joe Manganiello), a character who’s presence doesn’t really fit into an all-Arkham storyline. And if the setting didn’t seem very likely after that announcement, a recent rumor by The Wrap may just have confirmed it. He suggests that the film will not entirely be set in Arkham, although he didn’t grant us any further details about it. Maybe we can get a little crossover with Magic Mike and Manganiello can perform his own Deathstroke over closing credits.
What scoop can I give you on #BatmanDay? The standalone film DOES NOT take place entirely in Arkham with all the vaillains on the loose.
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) September 18, 2016
Because we are still such a long way from the film’s release, a rumor like this only puts more speculation in fans’ minds. While it would be amazing to see a film devote itself completely to Arkham, it does seem doubtful that Warner Bros. would invest in a risky project like that. That being said, the possibilities of where the film could explore is basically endless. With the time spent in Arkham (for however long that may be), it’s not at all unlikely that the iconic location will have some interesting connections to where the film also decides to go.
Plus they’ve already done an Arkham Asylum game tie-in, so this could let them expand that also.
There’s already dissenters as Comic Book Movie disagrees with Umberto Gonzalez claiming a second source holds firm that the film will take place inside of Arkham Asylum while ‘adding’ that the film is not set entirely in the prison’s walls. That sounds more like they’re agreeing, but we’ll see.
The script has apparently already been written, so all eyes are on Affleck now to see if he can give the DC Cinematic Universe a much-needed win aside from Suicide Squad. His previously directed works — Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo — have all gone on to receive widespread praise from both critics and audiences. He clearly has a lot of talent on both sides of the camera, which makes him a great choice to take on such a big challenge like the Batman movie. And whether or not the new rumor is true, this project is still as exciting as ever. There are plenty of iconic superheroes that have come to the big screen over the years, but the enigma that is Batman seems to be the only one that has audiences coming back again and again and again.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.