A solo ‘Batman’ movie starring Ben Affleck has not yet been officially announced, even though there has been plenty of buzz including that Affleck will also direct and co-write the reboot (along with DC publisher/writer Geoff Johns). We do know that after co-headlining ‘Batman V Superman’, Affleck’s Batman will play a major role in the unfurling DC Cinematic Universe. Less than six months after ‘BvS’, he will pop up again in next fall’s ‘Suicide Squad’ in which the Dark Knight’s archenemy The Joker (Jared Leto) plays a central role. And it was just rumored that he will also put in an appearance in 2017’s ‘Wonder Woman’.
A solo ‘Batman’ movie should be a given and it’s just a matter of time before one is announced. But even without confirmation, rumors are already surfacing in regard to what this movie will be about.
One fan conspiracy that made the rounds earlier this year is that Leto’s Joker was actually a demented former Robin, based on the scars on his torso matching the battle scars on the empty Robin suit on display in the ‘BvS’ trailer. That would be a huge departure, but anything is possible, considering that ‘Man of Steel’ was largely its own reality, only loosely based on comic continuity.
But maybe the movie will bear a closer resemblance to the source material. The latest scuttlebutt is that Affleck and Johns will be heavily drawing from two seminal Batman tales: ‘A Death In The Family’ and ‘Under The Red Hood’ both of which center on the character Jason Todd, the second Robin, who was killed by The Joker in the first storyline and who returned for vengeance in the second.
In the current comics, Todd retains the Red Hood alias and operates as a rebellious antihero. Of course the first Robin, Dick Grayson adopted the identity of Nightwing. Allegedly, Batman will reference Nightwing in ‘BvS’ and the character will appear in person in the solo ‘Batman’ movie. It was also revealed in the trailer that the Robin whose suit is on display was killed by The Joker.
Here is the rumored description of the ‘Batman’ movie’s storyline:
“According to our sources, the basic plotline of Affleck’s solo Batfilm is that Jason Todd has returned from the grave as the Red Hood, working in the shadows to make people think he’s Batman, while making Batman look like a criminal. At the same time he leaves clues about his identity for Bruce/Batman to ultimately solve, leading to a confrontation that will involve Batman, Red Hood, and yes, The Joker, who will feature as a primary villain alongside Red Hood.”
According to the same rumors, The Red Hood will resemble both the comic book version and the one in the ‘Arkham Knights’ video game. Supposedly, WB is looking to cast an unknown. That could work, but I think they have their pick of any young actor and could just as easily select one that has some recognition.
As per usual, take all RUMORS with a grain of salt.
What do you think? Do you think Jason Todd’s story would make for a good ‘Batman’ movie? What else would you like to see in this film? Who would you like to see play either Jason Todd or Dick Grayson?
Source: Geek Tyrant