Ben Affleck to direct, co-write and star in 'Batman' stand-alone film

In all likelihood, we'll be getting our first full-length trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice tomorrow night at Comic-Con, kicking the DC universe into high gear. Warner Bros. has big plans for this cinematic universe and they really need to impress the fans right off the bat. I'm hoping that the trailer will blow people away, but even if the reaction is more lukewarm, I still won't write off the film yet. But it's no secret that Warner needs Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad to do big business if they want this franchise to continue on. The good news is that they've collected an impressive group of talented people to tell these stories. Margot Robbie, Ezra Miller, Margot Robbie, David Ayer, Zack Snyder, Chris Terrio, Will Smith, and most importantly, Ben Affleck. When Affleck signed on to play Batman in 2013, there was a fan uproar. People weren't a fan of the so-called "Bat-fleck" and didn't think that he would work as a grizzled, older Batman. Fans are still skeptical, but my excitement has grown with this recent news that Affleck will have a bigger hand in the DC universe beyond donning the cape and cowl.

Yesterday, Deadline reported that in addition to starring as Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman and future Justice League movies, Ben Affleck will co-write and direct a stand-alone Batman film after he wraps production on Live By Night. Affleck will write the film with DC comics CCO Geoff Johns, who is one of the most famous figures in the comic book industry. With Batman v Superman and Live By Night set to hit in 2016, Justice League Part 1 in 2017 and Part 2 in 2019, it's expected that Affleck's take on Batman will hit theaters in 2019 or 2020. Whenever it comes out, I'll be the first in line to see it. I'm a big fan of Ben Affleck as a director and the fact that his directorial plans were put on hold was one of the things that disappointed me the most when I first read that he was playing Batman. But all things worked out well and I'm glad that Affleck's directorial career will stay on track. Our first taste of the new Batman era will come on March 25, 2016, when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters.