Ben Affleck's Batman Movie Will Shoot Spring 2017, Confirmed For 2018 Release

Just before last weekend, we got word that the Justice League sequel that was long set for release on June 14, 2019 might be pushed back to make room for Ben Affleck's gestating Batman movie. However, just a couple days ago, Ben Affleck indicated that he wasn't in a rush to start shooting because the screenplay needed to be just right.

But now we have word from Ben Affleck himself that the production is on track to start shooting in the spring. In addition, elsewhere, Warner Bros. president Greg Silverman (who was actually removed from this position late last night) confirmed a release for 2018. Though that does create a little bit of confusion with regards to the release calendar. Find out more about Ben Affleck's Batman movie release date after the jump.

Affleck has always been more cautious about hyping up his solo Batman movie, but it appears he's being a little more forthright with his optimism just a couple days after attempting to keep expectations to a minimum. In a recent chat with Variety at a tastemakers screening at New York's Metrograph Theater, the trade asked whether he was looking to begin production on the Batman movie next spring, and here's what he said:

We're on the right track with that and everything is coming together. We're still finishing up a script. I'm very excited.

This is the first time that he's been positive about getting the movie off the ground at a certain time while still saying that the script is being worked on. So the movie that may or may not be called The Batman will begin production next spring if all goes well. But what about the release date?

Well, let's look at the calendar for the DC Extended Universe movies again:

As we discussed previously, if Justice League 2 was going to be pushed back to make room for Batman, than presumably meant that it would move to the empty November 1, 2019. However, Greg Silverman indicated that 2018 would see the release of the Batman movie. Here's what Silverman told Deadline about the future WB slate:

Next year, Batman Lego looks like a monster, and King Kong looks like a global hit and we have Chris Nolan's Dunkirk, and King Arthur, and Wonder Woman, which is such a joy for the studio and fans. Zack Snyder's Justice League is a big film, and there are others like CHiPS, which feels like a real franchise for the studio. And Toby Emmerich's films are also really humming.

Then in 2018, there is a second Fantastic Beasts film, and Ready Player One feels like an ambitious movie by the world's best filmmaker, Steven Spielberg, that will set the world on fire. There is Aquaman with James Wan, and Scooby Doo will be a huge launch and then there is Lego Ninjago. And then there is Ben Affleck's Batman.

So what does that mean for the rest of the DC Extended Universe schedule?

Well, even though Aquaman now has a confirmed release date of October 5, 2018, it was previously slated for July 27, 2018. Everyone had assumed that release date would be vacated completely rather than filled by another DC movie, but if Ben Affleck's Batman movie is really coming out in 2018, maybe it will be taking that release slot. But if that's the case, why would the 2019 release of Justice League 2 need to be pushed back? Maybe some wires got crossed somewhere and it won't be pushed back.

However, maybe there will still be some scheduling changes for Warner Bros. on the horizon. After all, The Flash still doesn't have a new director, so maybe that movie will end up getting pushed back to 2019 and The Batman will take its 2018 slot. Anything is possible at this point.

I wouldn't be surprised if Warner Bros. clarified these release dates sometime early next year as production on Ben Affleck's Batman movie looms closer. Until then, we'll just look forward to The Batman starting production next spring unless we hear otherwise.