We'll probably never know what the original iteration of The Batman had in store for us and with Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns' screenplay ditched by Matt Reeves so he can start from scratch, that doesn't look like it will change in the near future. However, a Tweet from The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez - which was actually liked by Joe Manganiello - reveals which David Fincher movie inspired Affleck.
That was 1997 mystery thriller The Game. Starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, it told the story of a wealthy investment banker who is given a mysterious gift: participation in a game that integrates in strange ways with his everyday life. As the lines between the banker’s real life and the game become more uncertain, hints of a conspiracy become apparent. What does that have to do with The Batman?
It's been said that the movie would have been very detective focused, so chances are Affleck was looking at the thriller and conspiracy aspects of The Game for help in establishing the tone of this film.
On the plus side, Reeves has said his take on The Batman will be a "noir driven, detective version of Batman" so it could be that not all of what Affleck was going for has been lost. We don't know if Manganiello is going to appear as Deathstroke, though, or even if the former director will be suiting up as the Caped Crusader so the movie's future very much remains up in the air. What do you think?