By now you probably already know that Ben Affleck is out as the director of the solo Batman movie. Although this is clearly a devastating loss for the DCEU, many have started to view it as an opportunity to find someone equally talented for the job. In fact, some fans have even begun to look to Kevin Smith as a potential replacement. However, the Clerks director and uber Bat-Fan seems skeptical about that idea for three clear reasons: he's not as close to Ben Affleck as he used to be, his recent filmmaking endeavors haven't gone so well, and it just wouldn't make sense for DC. Smith tweeted:
I'm flattered. But 3 things make me directing Batman impossible: 1) Haven't spoken to Ben in years. 2) I made @YogaHosers, 3) Common sense. https://t.co/oTIhA3FtjO
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) January 31, 2017
Those are some fairly cogent points, and all of them paint a very clear picture that Kevin Smith is not going to get involved with the solo Batman movie at any time in the near future. Loving The Dark Knight is one thing (in fact, his Fatman on Batman podcast has become a pop culture institution at this point), but taking the reins of a major movie like this doesn't seem like a responsibility that Smith has any interest in shouldering. Considering Yoga Hosers' current 20% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, my kneejerk reaction is to agree with him on this one.
If we want to play Devils' Advocate, there's a case to be made that Kevin Smith might be shortchanging himself. Although his recent movies haven't exactly been met with waves of critical praise and fanfare, the fact remains that his forays into the DC world have been utterly phenomenal. He has an apparent passion for Batman, and his work on The Flash's "The Runaway Dinosaur" episode proves that he can handle a beloved superhero when there's enough oversight to keep him in check. Kevin Smith might not represent the best option to replace Ben Affleck as the director of the solo Batman movie, but he's still a worthwhile option that we shouldn't immediately brush off.
Who do you want to see take over as the director of the DCEU's first solo Batman movie? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
We will bring you more information related to the future of Ben Affleck's Batman as more details become available to us. The character is slated to make his next DCEU appearance in Zack Snyder's Justice League on November 17, 2017.
