12 Perfect Stories Affleck's Solo Batman Movie Must Adapt
Red Hood, Arkham, Deaths In The Family...
There are more reasons to be supremely excited about Ben Affleck directing, writing and starring in his own Batman film than those directly linked to his talent. For a start, there's the fact that he has a hell of a lot to prove after the near disaster of Batman v Superman (not least that he can actually play Bruce Wayne and not just the Bat). He's motivated, and the results for fans should be great.
And then there's the very specific challenges Affleck's Batman brings. He inherently has to play a wounded Batman at the end of his career (or at least at the end of a chapter of his career); there's no beginning or rising for him. That means Affleck gets access to only a particular type of story to adapt from: those showing Batman beyond his peak with threats that could legitimately end his career.
And of course, crucially, whatever story Affleck chooses has to make sense in the current timeline (even if not everyone is wholly delighted by what Zack Snyder has done). Luckily, there are some great possibilities to be found within the pages of Batman comics...
12. Under The Red Hood
Even before Warner Bros confirmed that Affleck is directing his own Batman stand-alone, there was a rumour that the new DC Cinematic Universe would be adapting Under The Red Hood. Piecing together fan theories on the identity of Jared Leto's Joker and the very conscious lamp-shading that Robin is dead lead to the apparently incontravertible truth that Leto is in fact Jason Todd.
Now, that doesn't actually fit what happens in Red Hood, but hopefully Warner Bros won't be stupid enough to have Mr J to be revealed to be the tragic Robin. And that would allow for room to explore the Red Hood story in a more conventional sense, having Batman's more resistant methods against the Joker contradicted by Red Hood's fearsome, unhinged style.
Crucially, this story would mean we could see more of Leto's Joker - this time imagined as a caged animal under threat - and Batman struggling with the morality of killing for revenge. If this is indeed the set-up we're currently seeing, the results could well be great.