All things considered, it is a shame that fans never got to see Ben Affleck get his own solo outing at Gotham's caped crusader. Still, given the rousing success from The Batman since its release, it never hurts to wonder what could have been had Affleck continued playing the role. Luckily, that won't stop those involved with the project from giving fans what the material would hypothetically look like.
Keith Christensen, who served as the concept artist for The Batman, released concept art for what Affleck would look like if he had donned the batsuit for his solo outing. Christensen's concept art of Affleck's hypothetical suit was not a one-time thing. Christensen released what Affleck's suit would look like at multiple angles, which included closeups of his face, the front side of his body, the backside of his body, and even pictures of the Bat's utility belt and gloves.
Being a professional concept artist whose other credits include Dune, Black Panther, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, of course, these pictures were quite thorough. The pictures include the items Batman would have on him if he needed to use his utility belt, how Batman's headgear would fit specifically on Affleck's head, and even the various buckles that Batman's utility belt would have, among other specific details. These concept designs were revealed through multiple posts on Christensen's Instagram account.
Even if this is a rather pointless ordeal, it is a fun little exercise to get a glimpse of "Batfleck" in the iconic hero's attire had he stayed in the DCEU. Fans may not get to see Affleck in future installments of the franchise, but seeing the work they put into visualizing him fully as the World's Greatest Detective is a nice treat to have. Affleck's performance as Batman was one of the few positives back when it seemed DC did not really know where it was going with its universe.
It's times like these that remind fans that many thought Affleck's departure from DC was the final nail in the coffin for its extended cinematic universe because his impressive performance was one of the few lauded attributes early on. That makes it all the more impressive to see that not only was it not the case after he left, but now DC seems to have their head on their shoulders with their future installments. Maybe their outlook would look a little more positive if Affleck was still involved with Batman, but at least they got it together when push came to shove, and now they have a clear direction ahead of them.
So now that begs the question if DC is now better off without Affleck. Robert Pattinson's performance in The Batman was also met with plenty of acclaim, and this time, such a performance played a role in the movie getting such largely positive reception overall. No one is saying that Affleck was the reason movies like Batman v. Superman or the original cut of Justice League weren't received well, but their failures critically does call into question if Pattinson had been the right choice all along. Even if fans will never know seeing as how Affleck is out, it is something worth thinking about.
The Batman is now playing in theaters.
Source: Keith Christensen/Instagram