The rumor has it that the veteran actor wants Jared Leto in the swing of things.
For now, what is clear after months of intense rumors and speculation is that the deal regarding Batman’s inclusion in the DCEU’s The Flash is all done and sealed. Ben Affleck will return to wear that cape again, but the talks have only been for one film; there is still slight reluctance on his side to do more films as Bruce Wayne. Anybody can see that the discouragement that certain actors like Ben Affleck have over their future at DCEU has stemmed after that critical disaster in 2017, which sprung the entire franchise into a state of chaos.
However, the studio is still open to sit down and talk with him on the offer to make a solitary Batman series at HBO Max, the offer which Affleck had rejected in the past. Yet, after two years of reluctance, the actor has given a slight nod, but he has made his conditions clear, and the first assurance he wants revolves around him being the sole creative strategist of the entire project ( a demand which he has kept in front of DC for his solo Batman film as well).
In the rumored storyline, Batman will have a challenge of stopping Deathstroke (played by the actor Joe Manganiello). Although the supervillain has been reported to be the main nemesis of Batman, he will not be his only arch-rival. Jared Leto’s Joker has a part to play, and to the much delight of the fans, his origin story will be explored (bad news for the creators is the fact that it will inevitably be compared to the 2019 Academy Award-nominated film “Joker”)
Nevertheless, despite the fans’ disapproval, DC studios are sticking with Jared Leto, and multiple reports in recent months have suggested the fact that Jared Leto’s portrayal of the supervillain will be a part of HBO Max’s upcoming Batman series.
One of the interesting aspects that the rumors have suggested is that the upcoming series will follow the degradation of Joker’s mind and will explore the origins of the tattoo “Damaged” on his forehead while also shedding light on Batman’s decaying moral compass and his lost faith in humanity after the death of his son Robin.
If we can trace the continuity of the DCEU back to its earlier developments, which revolves around Snyder’s plans for Gotham City, we can assume that the dead Robin that will be shown in the Batman series will be none other than the character Dick Grayson.
Snyder had confirmed this in the last few years and had alluded to the fact that the deceased Robin character will inevitably be replaced by Carrie Kelley (who appeared in 1986 comic book “The Dark Knight Returns”).
Most likely, the series will show that the Joker had killed Batman’s son Dick Grayson, but the events will not be explored in the series, and instead, the details about the tragedy will be shown through a series of flashbacks (probably through Batman’s memories of the incident). The timeline of the HBO Max series will be in congruence with the chronological timeline of the Justice League.
Jared Leto is well aware of the fans’ dissent regarding him under the clown makeup, and his job isn’t going to become easier because apart from Heath Ledger, he will now also be compared to Joaquin Phoenix as well. Nevertheless, Jared Leto has not given up on the clown and is up for another shot at it as some reports suggest that he regards it as an “unfinished business.”
Source: Ben Affleck Wants to Return as Batman but He Needs More Creative Control
