The Batman delivered a fan-favorite take on the Dark Knight and successfully kickstarted a new era for its titular hero. But before Matt Reeves took the helm of the film and Robert Pattinson became the Caped Crusader, The Batman was supposed to be set in the DCEU and directed by Ben Affleck, who would have also starred as his version of Bruce Wayne following his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Things appeared to be going well for the superhero adventure, as Affleck shared test footage of Deathstroke, who would eventually be revealed as The Batman's main villain, played by Joe Manganiello. As time went on, however, development on the film stalled. Firstly, Ben Affleck stepped down as director, eventually handing the reins over to Matt Reeves. Then, after much speculation, Affleck stepped down from the role altogether, which led to the version of the film that was ultimately released.
Many were left disappointed by not seeing the director/actor's take on the Dark Knight, especially after his portrayal was lauded as one of the most comic-book-faithful versions of the hero. Now, though, we have a look at what could have been. Concept artist Keith Christensen posted a piece of concept art from the scrapped version of the film, showing what Affleck could have looked like:
Christensen later shared another picture, showing the design from behind, and confirming in the caption that the concept was indeed for Affleck's version of The Batman: "And here's the back view. Tried to design a consistent, modular, functional suit made from ballistic materials. Suit was designed when [Ben Affleck] was directing and starring in [The Batman]:
The suit is a significant departure from the one the Dark Knight wore throughout his DCEU appearances. Christensen's version is much more armored, and seems to be partly inspired by the character's appearance in Injustice 2. Batman would end up wearing an armored costume in the form of the Tactical Suit in Justice League. That, however, was completely different from what we see here.
Keep in mind that the design may not be the one that Affleck and co. had settled on for The Batman. Films (especially superhero ones) usually go through a lot of alternate costume takes in the concept-art stage, and many of them vary wildly from the final product.
It's also worth noting that the design is somewhat similar to what looked like Affleck's costume in set pictures that came out from The Flash last year.
Ben Affleck will return as the Caped Crusader for one final appearance in The Flash, which hits theaters on June 23, 2023.