The Batman (film)

Ben Affleck (left) was initially set to direct, write, produce, and star in The Batman, but handed the former two duties to Matt Reeves (right) in 2017 before stepping down entirely in 2019.

In August 2013, Ben Affleck was cast as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), with plans to play the role in at least three films.[15] He made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016),[32] and later appeared in Suicide Squad (2016)[33] and Justice League (2017).[34] In October 2014, Warner Bros. revealed plans for a standalone Batman film starring Affleck,[35] and by July 2015, he was in negotiations to direct and co-write the screenplay with Geoff Johns. According to Deadline Hollywood, Affleck and Johns were expected to turn in a draft by October 2015, and that production would begin after Affleck finished work on Live by Night. The plot was to be set after the events of Batman v Superman and Justice League;[36][37] Affleck stated that the film would feature a "mostly original" story that used elements of comic books for inspiration, like what director Zack Snyder did with Batman v Superman.[38] According to Robert Richardson, who was attached as cinematographer early in development, Affleck's script was set in Arkham Asylum and dealt with insanity.[39]

Affleck and Johns finished the first draft in March 2016, with Johns implying that the film would explore the death of Robin which was hinted at in Batman v Superman.[40] At CinemaCon in April, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara confirmed the film was moving forward, with Affleck directing.[41][42] In the following months, Jeremy Irons and Joe Manganiello were confirmed to appear—with Manganiello playing Deathstroke[40]—and Jared Leto expressed interest in reprising his role as the Joker from Suicide Squad.[43] Affleck revealed the title of the film was The Batman in October, and in December he said filming was on track to begin in mid-2017 for a release date in 2018.[44] That month, a planned Justice League sequel was delayed to accommodate The Batman.[45] However, in January 2017, Affleck said the film had no script and that he may end up not directing it.[46] While Affleck reaffirmed his commitment to direct in an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!,[47] by the end of the month he decided to step down; nonetheless, he stated he would still star and produce.[48] By this point, Chris Terrio had turned in a rewrite of the script.[49]

Affleck initially cited his intentions to step down as director were to focus more on starring as Batman, later acknowledging that after various attempts to get the script where he wanted it, it simply became "time to let someone else have a shot at it".[50] Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter added that Affleck's film was "sidelined" after Warner Bros. began re-evaluating its approach to superhero films.[5] Matt Ross, Ridley Scott, and Fede Álvarez were considered to replace Affleck,[49][51] before Matt Reeves joined to direct and produce in February 2017, and production was delayed until 2018 so he could complete War for the Planet of the Apes.[40][52] By March, Reeves had begun working on a completely new script, and would not meet potential actors until at least July.[53] Reeves stated in an interview that the film would feature "an almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman" emphasizing the heart and mind of the character and taking inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock.[54][55] Reeves also reworked the story to focus on Batman earlier in his career as a vigilante,[56] and said it would explore the detective aspect of the character to a greater extent than previous films.[57] In August, Reeves said the film would still take place within the DCEU, but that "it wouldn't be filled with cameos servicing other stories". After Reeves began rewriting the script, Manganiello said he was unsure if Deathstroke would still appear.[58]

In August 2018, Reeves appeared on a Television Critics Association panel and revealed many details about the film. He confirmed that The Batman would be an original, noir-driven story and not an origin story. He also revealed that the script was nearing completion and that the film's connections to the DCEU would be minimal but present.[57] Reeves said that he was "working on getting our draft in the next couple of weeks and things are progressing," hoping to begin production in early-to-mid 2019.[59] Reeves submitted his first draft to Warner Bros. the following month.[60] Affleck's involvement was in doubt; Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter reported in July 2017 that Warner Bros. was looking to replace him.[61] This was strengthened by further reports indicating that Reeves wanted a younger actor to play Batman. In August 2018, Affleck went to rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, casting further doubt that he would be reprising his role.[62] In January 2019, Warner Bros. set a June 25, 2021 release date for The Batman, and Affleck confirmed that he was departing.[16] Affleck revealed in 2020 that he stepped down due to a combination of factors, including his divorce from Jennifer Garner, the tumultuous production of Justice League, his personal lack of enjoyment in the role, and his alcohol problems.[63][64] "I showed [my friend] the Batman script," he recalled. "They said, 'I think the script is good. I also think you'll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through again."[63]

Robert Pattinson (pictured in 2017) was cast to replace Affleck in May 2019

By May 2019, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were on the shortlist to replace Affleck as Batman, Pattinson being the frontrunner.[1][65][66] Reeves began to consider Pattinson early in development, but was unsure if he would want to take the part and did not contact him.[5] Pattinson's avoidance of "big studio franchise films" meant he had not appeared in any of rival Marvel Studios' projects, something that made him desirable to Warner Bros. Hoult was the other major contender for the role. While Hoult had appeared in the Marvel Comics-based X-Men films, those did not take place in Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, as Kit noted, "Hoult spent large chunks of those movies unrecognizable" due to his makeup.[5]

Reeves "spent hours poring over the two actors' work", and in April met with them both. By May 20, they were the only contenders, and both flew to Burbank, California for a screen test. Reeves, who "wanted very specific things" for the role, chose Pattinson,[5] and on May 31 Pattinson was cast.[4][5][67] News of Pattinson's casting leaked shortly before he screen-tested, with Pattinson recalling: "I was fucking furious. Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing." The casting was also met with backlash from Batman fans—with some setting up a Change.org petition to have it reversed—but Pattinson said he found responses "less vitriolic than I was expecting [...] it's much more fun when you're an underdog. There's no expectation of you."[7]

Jeffrey Wright entered negotiations to play James Gordon in September, and Jonah Hill entered negotiations to play either the Riddler or the Penguin.[21][68] In October, Wright was cast, but Hill exited negotiations.[17][69] According to Variety's Justin Kroll, Hill wanted to be paid $10 million—more than double the amount that Pattinson would make[70]—while Kit wrote that Warner Bros. and Hill could not decide which role he would take.[68] Additionally, Zoë Kravitz was cast as Selina Kyle / Catwoman (reprising her role from 2017's The Lego Batman Movie)[2] following a screen test with Pattinson; Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, and Eiza González also auditioned for the role.[17] Paul Dano was cast as the Riddler shortly afterward.[20] In November, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, and John Turturro were cast as Alfred Pennyworth, the Penguin, and Carmine Falcone, respectively.[27][71][24] Jayme Lawson also joined the cast as a politician,[26] while Peter Sarsgaard was cast in December.[72]

Principal photography began in January 2020 in London,[73][74][75] under the working title Vengeance.[76] Later in the month, Warner Bros. confirmed the main cast;[25] Gil Perez-Abraham was revealed to have a role in February, as were Charlie and Max Carver in March.[30][31] Greig Fraser is serving as cinematographer, reuniting with Reeves after they worked together on Let Me In (2010).[77] Scenes at a cemetery were filmed at the Glasgow Necropolis in mid-February.[78] In March, Warner Bros. decided to move production to Liverpool[79] due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[80] Unlike other studios with films in production, Warner Bros. did not plan to suspend shooting on The Batman,[81][82] but eventually did so for two weeks on March 14.[80]

On March 25, Reeves announced that filming had been suspended indefinitely, with plans to resume once it was safe to do so.[83] Shortly afterward, the production's dialect coach, Andrew Jack, died from COVID-19.[84][85] Variety reported that production was unlikely to restart until around mid-May, and that the release date was expected to be delayed as a result.[86] In April, Warner Bros. pushed the release date back until October 1, 2021.[87] Reeves stated that around a quarter of the film had been shot prior to suspension, and that he had been taking time to look over what had already been shot and think about "what's to come." Reeves said that he was not planning to perform script rewrites in the meantime, but was using the opportunity to explore the film's tone.[88] On May 12, the British government gave the green light for high-end TV and film productions to resume shooting, as soon as employers put coronavirus safety measures in place,[89] and The Batman was given permission to restart production around July.[90]