The Batman director Matt Reeves on his vision for the solo film

Warner Bros. Pictures recently brought on director Matt Reeves to helm their upcoming solo movie The Batman, although he is far too busy putting the finishing touches on 20th Century Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes to have gotten too deep into it already. Nevertheless, the Batman director recently told Los Angeles Daily News about his vision for the Caped Crusader.

“It’s a strange thing to be involved in the two franchises which were the two that I was connected to most as a child,” Reeves said. “I just was obsessed with Batman when I was a kid. What I find so interesting about him as a character is that, as far a superhero goes, he’s not superhuman, he is a person. And he is a tortured soul who is grappling with his past and trying to find a way to be in a world that has a lot that’s wrong with it and trying to find a way to reconcile all of that.”

Recently Variety’s Justin Kroll put the word out that Reeves is contracted by Fox through June to complete work and promotion on Apes, which will push the Batman release date (originally earmarked for 2018) and filming schedule back a ways. While it was thought shooting would begin later this year, it now looks like cameras won’t roll until 2018. The film has yet to receive a proper green light from the studio, and it is believed Reeves is doing a massive rewrite that could radically alter Ben Affleck’s original vision for the story. Reeves also won’t have time to meet with any acting talent on the project until at least July.

In The Batman, Ben Affleck is expected to face off as the title hero against Joe Manganiello, who will play Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, in the film. Additional appearances by Jeremy Irons as Alfred and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon are expected to happen as well.

Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) will direct the film. An official release date for The Batman, written by Affleck and Geoff Johns, hasn’t been set. Affleck will next appear as Batman in Justice League, opening in theaters on November 17. You can view photos from that film in the gallery below.

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