With Ben Affleck officially stepping down from directing The Batman , the film is now expected to get a "fresh start once a new creative team has been put together."

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The Batman: Directors Who Could Replace Ben Affleck 10 IMAGES

Forbes reports that Warner Bros. is trying to figure out which direction to take the movie in now. With a new director coming in -- War for the Planet of the Apes' Matt Reeves is reportedly the frontrunner to replace Affleck -- the project "will undergo substantial changes and possible/probably another full rewrite."The original story Affleck was working on with Geoff Johns -- and which subsequently got a rewrite from Chris Terrio -- not only included Deathstroke (Joe Manganiello) as the main antagonist, but a few other 'likely" recognizable villains as well, including an appearance from the Joker."With scripting duties and directing demands off his shoulders," adds Forbes. "Affleck will have more time to commit to overcoming the exhaustion and frustrations that became a problem for him recently after a demanding schedule that included Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, The Accountant, Justice League, and Live By Night. Acting in all five of those films, plus doing scripting and editing duties on a few as well, and of course serving as writer-director-actor for Live By Night, put a strain on Affleck and made it difficult for him to focus on the screenplay for The Batman."The film would've had a similar tone and feel to the Arkham Asylum video game. Now, it seems this might no longer be in the cards. According to Forbes, until Warner Bros. finds a new director, the future of Affleck's script is unclear.Along with Reeves, several other directors are also rumored to be on Warner Bros.' shortlist including George Miller (Mad Max), Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, The Accountant), Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Arrival) and Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic).Affleck's next appearance as Batman will be in this year's Justice League, which hits theaters November 17, 2017.

Alex Gilyadov is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter