Last week, we heard a report claiming that Will Beall's script for the Justice League movie has been scrapped, and that Warner Bros. wasn't even sure how to move forward with the project. It has been previously said that the rebooted Batman will make his debut in the superhero ensemble, which would make sense considering that a 2015 release was being targeted. However, with new writer(s) being sought out, it would be nearly impossible to have the film ready for 2015 (especially with WB waiting to see how Man Of Steel does before giving a greenlight). Now, a source tells Batman On Film that, despite Justice League being delayed, the Batman franchise will still continue. However, it appears that the Caped Crusader will next be seen in his own solo film, rather than Justice League (assuming that the following is true, of course). "Don't worry about the Batman [film] franchise. It’s [Warner Bros.'] most valuable [DC Comics-based] asset. I believe that they are now looking at introducing [the rebooted] Batman in a solo film, though that will likely take place later than they initially had planned. They are extremely worried how a [the Batman film franchise] would be affect if Justice League bombs...and rightfully so." He/she then says, "The fact that what should be the core fanbase of a Justice League film isn't on board is making them sweat as well."
BOF previously heard that the Batman reboot will be released 2017 at the earliest, but their latest source claims that we could wait even longer if Man Of Steel is as big of a hit as WB is hoping. "If Superman is huge, then they’ve bought themselves some time and will have a franchise to hang their hat on for seven, eight years. The need for Batman won’t be as great, and [the reboot] of that franchise can wait until the Superman trilogy is done." And when can we expect the Dark Knight to return to the big screen? "Under that scenario [No Justice League in 2015 and Man Of Steel being a big hit], I’d say around 2019 or so."
Keep in mind that none of these details have been officially confirmed yet, so take this report with a grain of salt for now. Are you okay with the new Batman having his own film before Justice League, or were you hoping to see the Caped Crusader make his next big screen outing in the superhero ensemble? Of course, all of this depends on Man Of Steel's success when it opens June 14th.
