5. Ben Affleck Will Direct 'The Batman'
Warner Bros.With the Harry Potter franchise at an end, Batman is now the undisputed crown jewel in the Warner Bros. movie catalog. A mere four years after the conclusion of the multi-billion dollar Dark Knight Trilogy, the Caped Crusader will return to cinema screens in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with the recognizable chin of Ben Affleck under the cowl. Following the Justice League movie in 2017, Batman will inevitably get his own solo movie and the smart money is on Affleck taking over behind the camera as well. As mentioned elsewhere in this article, there were rumors that Warner Bros. have seven movies of the newly-established DC Cinematic Universe planned through to 2018. Curiously, none of the titles mentioned were a standalone Batman feature until a new report surfaced a couple of weeks ago that planted the movie in 2019. It seems strange that the studio would wait so long given the consistent popularity and high box office returns of the character's previous outings, but in the long run it actually makes a lot of sense. Affleck's iteration of the character is described as an older and more grizzled version of the Dark Knight, and by the time 2019 rolls around the actor will be almost 47. The schedule also allows the critically-acclaimed director plenty of time to work on his own projects outside of his franchise commitments before getting back into the costume. Most importantly, the hiring of Argo writer Chris Terrio to rewrite the Dawn of Justice script indicates that Affleck holds plenty of sway at Warner Bros, which could possibly mean that the directing gig for 'The Batman' is his if he wants it. Zack Snyder's style seems ill-at-ease with the dark and brooding nature of Batman, and Ben Affleck has proven himself as an immensely talented director that could offer a fresh perspective on the cinematic adventures of the Caped Crusader. Let's just hope the preceding two movies are up to scratch and the latest incarnation of Batman doesn't become tainted by association before he even gets his own movie.