Batman

Ben Affleck is frustrated. And who could blame him? Anyone who dons Batman’s iconic cape and mask is immediately the center of superhero fans’ attention, both positive and negative. But Affleck doesn’t just want to live in a Batman bubble and only be asked about Batman. (Valid, but what did you expect dude?)

Over the weekend, USA Today dropped their 2017 movie preview featuring new photos of some of the year’s most anticipated movies. One of those was, of course, DC’s Justice League. We’ve seen some behind-the-scenes footage and some new looks at Wonder Woman, Batman, and The Flash, but now the whole gang has arrived.

We’ve seen NBC’s DC Comics comedy Powerless take a number of shapes since development, and if you caught some of the early pilot trailers, you’ll barely recognize the final product. Get a look at Wayne Security in a revamped premise trailer for Powerless, ahead of a February premiere.

Rough year for Ben Affleck, noted Jennifer Garner spouse and one-time star of Gigli. His big starring vehicle Batman v Superman made a whole lot of money but was critically reviled almost across the board, his latest directorial effort Live by Night got a quiet and unceremonious limited release that was buried in the holiday craziness, he was spotted sadly vaping in a car, and now a pall of uncertainty has been cast over his future. He’s confirmed for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Justice League crossover, but Affleck’s relationship with the Dark Knight’s cowl and cape may be getting a bit strained. In a new interview, Affleck indicated that what was once presumed to be set in stone is, in fact, still up for debate.

There seems to be a bit of conflicting information regarding Ben Affleck’s standalone Batman movie: Last week, Zack Snyder set his next directing project as WB pushed back the release of Justice League 2, reportedly to make room for the Batman movie. Earlier this week, Affleck said he’s taking his time with the project and making sure the script, which he’s co-writing with Geoff Johns, is right before heading into production. But now, Affleck has confirmed that his Batman film will shoot next spring, while WB president Greg Silverman says it’s on track for a 2018 release.

It’s anybody’s guess, whether FOX’s Gotham is genuinely meant to blossom into Batman’s beginnings, or weave its own take on the title mythology, but Cameron Monaghan’s Jerome has at least consistently excited fans. We know the proto-Joker’s presence will be felt in 2017's return, but is Monaghan himself teasing full-on Joker makeup on Twitter?

One of the biggest problems (and one that we’ve covered quite a bit) with Warner Bros’ DCEU is the way the studio is reverse-engineering its Justice League franchise. Instead of establishing their characters in individual films and slowly building toward a big crossover, they’ve done the reverse. And by building their productions around meeting a release date deadline, they wind up with films that are kind of a mess. If Ben Affleck’s approach to his Batman standalone film (and the recent decision to delay Justice League 2) is any indication, then maybe — just maybe — WB is learning from their mistakes.

NBC DC comedy Powerless was bound to undergo some creative changes with the departure of showrunner Ben Queen, and now that we’ve locked down a February premiere, those changes are starting to take shape. It looks like Powerless will have a major Batman connection, as revealed in a new synopsis.

We’ve already seen one look at the new Justice League Action in … well, action, so when can we expect the official debut? As early as December, now that Cartoon Network confirms a four-part series premiere along with a brand-new clip featuring Superman and Wonder Woman.

A bonafide TV Batman may have become the holy grail for DC fans, between the Arrow-verse tiptoeing around direct reference to the Dark Knight, or Gotham languishing in its inability to wait for Bruce Wayne’s future. Supergirl even made our first direct reference to Gotham City, and may now have hinted at Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman working with a troubled, technologically skilled vigilante.