Although nothing official has come about, Warner Bros. is said to be developing a Batman solo film with Ben Affleck starring, co-writing and directing. Apparently the studio is so enamored with Affleck's Caped Crusader in "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" that they want to make him the crown jewel of the growing DC Extended Universe. How, exactly, will they go about doing that?
JoBlo is reporting that the rumored Batman flick will include the Red Hood, AKA the resurrected Jason Todd. For those that are unfamiliar with the source material, Todd was the second Robin who was killed by the Joker before being resurrected and assuming the identity of the Red Hood, a moniker the Joker went by before he was the Clown Prince of Crime. The Red Hood then went on to become a quasi anti-hero/vigilante/criminal.
Fans that have been paying attention to the marketing campaign for "Batman V Superman" have surely noticed the clues hinting at a similar story line. It's been long rumored that Jared Leto's Joker, who we will see in "Suicide Squad" next year, killed this Robin sometime in the past within the DCEU.
A few months back, Latino Review reported that WB was determined to somehow include the Red Hood, who has become a fan favorite, into their films. He will reportedly be closely tied to Bruce Wayne's storyline and essentially be the DC's version to Marvel's Winter Soldier, a sidekick who's wandered down a dark path and seeks redemption.
Here's what JoBlo is saying about the solo flick and Red Hood's role in it: "According to our sources, the basic plotline...is that Jason Todd has returned from the grave as the Red Hood, working in the shadows to make people think he's Batman, while making Batman look like a criminal. At the same time he leaves clues about his identity for Bruce/Batman to ultimately solve, leading to a confrontation that will involve Batman, Red Hood, and yes, The joker, who will feature as a primary villain alongside Red Hood."
Furthermore, the first Robin AKA Dick Grayson, is also reported to exist in this universe, though he has grown up and become Nightwing as in the comics. He is said to be referenced but not seen in "Batman V Superman," though he apparently will be present in the Batman standalone.
Say what you want about WB's handling of their DC properties, at least they are swinging for the fences to be different ("Suicide Squad"), starting up with a rich mythology already in place and reportedly setting up interesting spinoff characters (Nightwing/Red Hood). It's unknown if this ambitious plan will work, but it will be different from Marvel and the diversity it creates in the superhero genre is a good thing for fans overall.
