2016 marks a new era for the "Batman" franchise. 

Ben Affleck will take on the role as Gotham's defender in "Batman v Superman" and Jared Leto will debut as The Joker in "Suicide Squad" out later this summer. Expectations are incredibly high as, inevitably, they'll be compared to Christian Bale and Heath Ledger's unforgettable performances as the duo in 2008's "The Dark Knight." 

While many love Bale's take as the Caped Crusader, the actor himself isn't a huge fan of his own performance. During an interview for his new film "Knight of Cups," he told Yahoo! Movies that's heavily because of Ledger's outstanding performance as the Clown Prince of Crime.

"I didn't quite nail it," says Bale. "Heath turned up and just kind of completely ruined all my plans. 'He's so much more interesting than me and what I'm doing.'" 

After his death in 2008, Ledger went on to posthumously earn an Academy Award for his role. 

Bale said he originally envisioned the Caped Crusader as a pent up, repressed character whose "true self" is revealed when he prowls Gotham as night.  

"Batman, he's just this very, very, very dark, messed-up character," said Bale. "I found when I put on the suit, I went 'I just feel like a bloody idiot if I don't use this as a means [of revealing] his true, monstrous self that he allows to come out in the moment."

While Bale feels he ultimately didn't realize his goal with the character feel, don't expect to see Bale reprise his role as Gotham's defender.

"You know, I mean, we did our thing. It's done," he says. "I've got nothing else to offer it."

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NOW WATCH: Ben Affleck gave a group of unsuspecting Batman fans the surprise of a lifetime

With "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (opening March 25) giving us a new look at the Dark Knight as Ben Affleck takes over the character, it's time to take stock of the best — and the worst — Batmans we've seen in movies and TV.

The Batman of the screen has evolved from a witty crime fighter on TV to a darkly conflicted man in the movies.

Fans of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, are extremely loyal to the actor they believe portrayed him best. Any objection is liable to lead to rowdy debates. Who can forget Seth Rogen and Zac Efron arguing the better Batman — Michael Keaton or Christian Bale — in "Neighbors"?

So let's add some more fuel to this superhero debate. Here are the actors who played Batman on TV and in movies (we've excluded animation, with a couple of important exceptions), ranked, starting with the worst.

SEE ALSO: The 21 best heist movies ever, ranked

8. George Clooney ("Batman & Robin," 1997)

Still trying to find his footing post-"ER," Clooney was jumping back and forth between romantic comedies and action movies when he took the Batman role after Val Kilmer was one-and-done in "Batman Forever." It turned out to be a disaster. Fans were exhausted by director Joel Schumacher's colorful aesthetic and the cartoonish villains played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze) and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy). And Clooney’s Batman was too jokey. The gruff Dark Knight had become playful and soft.

"Batman & Robin" is the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise, making $238 million worldwide.

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7. Lewis G. Wilson "The Batman" TV show, 1943)

Wilson has the distinction of being the first actor to play Batman, starring in the 1943 series. Though he had the comics as a reference point, Wilson was still at a disadvantage being the first to put on the tights. He holds his own, but it's certainly not a performance that is memorable, as you can see in the footage here.

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6. Robert Lowery (“Batman and Robin” TV show, 1949)

The second effort at a Batman series led to the casting of a bigger actor to play Batman. Lowery's physique and the show's better fight scenes make for a more enjoyable experience. 

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President Obama is known for his fluency in pop culture, but it was still a surprise to see in a long new feature in the Atlantic about his foreign policy that he compared the terrorist group ISIS to a Batman movie.

According to the story, in 2014 Obama worried that US intelligence was not taking seriously enough the threat of ISIS, also known as ISIL, which has grown rapidly and is notorious for videos of beheadings and its use of social media for propaganda and recruiting.

Here's how Obama reportedly explained to advisers the group's relationship to the larger forces at work in the Middle East and why it could be so harmful:

Advisers recall that Obama would cite a pivotal moment in The Dark Knight, the 2008 Batman movie, to help explain not only how he understood the role of ISIS, but how he understood the larger ecosystem in which it grew. “There’s a scene in the beginning in which the gang leaders of Gotham are meeting,” the president would say. “These are men who had the city divided up. They were thugs, but there was a kind of order. Everyone had his turf. And then the Joker comes in and lights the whole city on fire. ISIL is the Joker. It has the capacity to set the whole region on fire. That’s why we have to fight it.”

This does in fact explain what makes Heath Ledger's Joker so terrifying, not just for Ledger's unhinged performance, but within the story of "The Dark Knight": He's free even from the relative system of rules abided by fellow criminals. He's total chaos and unpredictability — which is indeed how many see the threat of ISIS and its techniques.

Here's the scene from "The Dark Knight" Obama was referring to:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every actor who's played Batman, from best to worst

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NOW WATCH: Adam Savage shares his all-time favorite 'MythBusters' result

Not only will Batman have a sleek new Batmobile in "Batman v Superman," but his alter ego Bruce Wayne will also have a flashy new car to drive around.

Wayne will drive a green 1957 Aston Martin in the film, according to a recent article in Bloomberg Pursuits.

You can spot the car in the second official trailer when Wayne heads to a gala hosted by Lex Luthor.

Here's a better look at the car, a Mark III.

In Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, Wayne drives three different Lamborghinis— two Murciélagos in "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," and an Aventador in "The Dark Knight Rises." (Murciélago means bat in Spanish.)

Why the change?

The Aston Martin belongs to "Batman v Superman" director Zack Snyder. It's been a favorite car of Snyder's since he began filmmaking.

Bloomberg Pursuits reports he purchased his first used Aston Martin for $28,000. After the success of his 2007 movie "300,"which made $456 million worldwide, Warner Bros. bought him a $350,000 Aston Martin Vanquish and offered him a production deal.

"They don't really do that in Hollywood anymore," said Snyder.

While the car is a favorite of Snyder's, many Batfans will be quick to notice it's also a favorite of James Bond. The latter is often cited as Britain'sBatman and Bond drove an Aston Martin DB10 in last year's "Spectre."

For those who like to make the comparison between the two, this will only add fuel to the fire.

"Batman v Superman" is in theaters March 25, 2016.

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NOW WATCH: Scientists think they've discovered the true identity of secretive street artist Banksy

Since his first appearance in 1939, Batman has become a hugely important cultural icon.

Key to this longevity is the ability to evolve and change with the times and across media. From the campy Adam West television series to the dark realism of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight" comic run, Batman has found his footing on TV and film and in comics, novels, and games.

This evolution is exemplified by the Batman symbol, the iconic bat featured prominently on his armor and on the covers of the comics. It's changed with the times, as well. To track the morphing signal, we relied on Calm the Ham's Batman poster, Rodrigo Rogas' animated version of the changes, and illustrations from DeviantArt user JMK-Prime for guidance.

Below is the incredible 75-year evolution of the Batman symbol:

1940: The original Batman logo resembled a man in a cape. It's a bit bulky, but fit the time period where he was wearing a costume instead of high-tech armor.

1965: The updated logo from the '60s comic run resembles a bat in flight as opposed to a costumed man.

1966: The symbol from the live-action Adam West show is best known for zooming in and out over a spinning background during transitions.

When "Batman v Superman" comes to theaters the Caped Crusader will finally face off against the son of Krypton.

It may look like an uneven fight, but there are a few ways Batman can go up against Superman, most of which involve Kryptonite, the Man of Steel's one true weakness (other than Lois Lane).

Now, thanks to a featurette from DC Entertainment, we know one tactic Batman will definitely use — kryptonite in and on his Batmobile.

We've had a hunch Batman's new Batmobile would come equipped with the precious Kryptonian element, but sometimes toys are just toys. They don't necessarily mean anything for the film's plot, but it looks like the toy below will be pretty true to form.

During a conversation with production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, sketches and blueprints for the Batmobile were shown off. 

Take a close look at them.

It's the final blueprints you'll want to take a second look at. 

Under modifications and defense system, you'll notice the new Batmobile has several Kryptonite upgrades including an "infused Kryptonite skincoating," a vaporized Kryptonian spray which may or may not shoot out like a mist from the Batmobile, a Kryptonite trajectile system, and a Kryptonite wave emitter.

Now, yes, we did see Supes heavily dent a Batmobile in one of the "Batman v Superman" television spots.

Knowing Batman's alter ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne probably has a few Batmobiles to spare and we bet he's smart enough to rig a subsequent Batmobile with some of the green stuff.

Could you imagine Superman trying to touch the Batmobile and getting weakened by it? Sounds pretty awesome. 

"Batman v Superman" is in theaters March 25.

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In less than two weeks, Batman will have his cinematic encounter with Superman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but that won’t be the Caped Crusader’s only big moment on screen this year. It was confirmed several months ago that "Batman: The Killing Joke" would be made into an animated movie, and today it was officially revealed that "Batman: The Animated Series" alums Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will reprise Batman and The Joker, respectively, for the project. To mark the announcement, Hamill posted the first official image from the adaptation with one of the story's famous quotes on his own Twitter feed.

Hamill subsequently tweeted the same picture two more times to complete the movie title with more quotes from the original source material. KILLING was accompanied by the line, "Remember there's always madness... Madness is the emergency exit." Then JOKE followed with, "If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice." Following Mark Hamill’s temporary retirement as the Clown Prince of Crime in 2011, he said that he would return to the role if a "Killing Joke" adaptation were ever made. Well, now it’s a reality! Hamill didn’t elaborate on his new Joker experience, but he’s clearly excited to be back.

Like Kevin Conroy with Batman, Mark Hamill has continued to voice The Joker in multiple projects over the decades, from episodes of "Superman: The Animated Series" and "Justice League" to three of the "Batman: Arkham" video games. Both actors are also reprising their roles for the upcoming "Justice League Action" animated series. As for the rest of "Batman: The Killing Joke’s" cast, Comic Book Resources reports that Tara Strong will voice Barbara Gordon and Ray Wise will voice her father, Commissioner James Gordon. 

Written by Alan Moore (of "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta" fame) and Brian Bolland, "Batman: The Killing Joke" was published in 1988 as a one-shot, and has since become one of the most famous Batman stories ever written. However, it’s earned its share of controversy over the years, primarily for its brutal treatment of Barbara Gordon, who is paralyzed at The Joker’s hands. This cut short her career as Batgirl, though she later served as Oracle from 1989 to when the New 52 began in 2011. Conversely, "The Killing Joke" is also considered by many as the definitive Joker story and one of the few to depict the super villain’s origin, though the clown himself casts doubts on whether events happened the way they’re depicted.

No release date has been set for "Batman: The Killing Joke," but the movie will premiere later this year at San Diego Comic-Con, and the movie’s wide release will follow later in the summer.

SEE ALSO: Meet Gal Gadot, the 30-year-old actress playing Wonder Woman, who started out as Miss Israel

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NOW WATCH: Take a tour of the $367 million jet that will soon be called Air Force One

Now that we've seen "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (opening March 25), with its new look at the Dark Knight as Ben Affleck takes over the character, it's time to take stock of the best — and the worst — Batmans we've seen in movies and TV. 

The Batman of the screen has evolved from a witty crime fighter on TV to a darkly conflicted man in the movies.

Fans of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, are extremely loyal to the actor they believe portrayed him best. Any objection is liable to lead to rowdy debates. Who can forget Seth Rogen and Zac Efron arguing the better Batman — Michael Keaton or Christian Bale — in "Neighbors"?

So let's add some more fuel to this superhero debate. Here are the actors who played Batman on TV and in movies (we've excluded animation, with a couple of important exceptions), ranked, starting with the worst.

Here are the Batman actors from worst to best, and where Affleck falls:

SEE ALSO: The 21 best heist movies ever, ranked

9. George Clooney ("Batman & Robin," 1997)

Still trying to find his footing post-"ER," Clooney was jumping back and forth between romantic comedies and action movies when he took the Batman role after Val Kilmer was one-and-done in "Batman Forever." It turned out to be a disaster. Fans were exhausted by director Joel Schumacher's colorful aesthetic and the cartoonish villains played by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mr. Freeze) and Uma Thurman (Poison Ivy). And Clooney’s Batman was too jokey. The gruff Dark Knight had become playful and soft.

"Batman & Robin" is the lowest-grossing movie in the franchise, making $238 million worldwide.

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8. Lewis G. Wilson "The Batman" TV show, 1943)

Wilson has the distinction of being the first actor to play Batman, starring in the 1943 series. Though he had the comics as a reference point, Wilson was still at a disadvantage being the first to put on the tights. He holds his own, but it's certainly not a performance that is memorable, as you can see in the footage here.

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7. Robert Lowery (“Batman and Robin” TV show, 1949)

The second effort at a Batman series led to the casting of a bigger actor to play Batman. Lowery's physique and the show's better fight scenes make for a more enjoyable experience. 

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"Batman v Superman," the most anticipated Batman movie of the year, is a total letdown. However, the upcoming "The LEGO Batman Movie," starring Will Arnett as the Caped Crusader, could be the Batman movie we need right now.

"The LEGO Batman Movie" will be out in theaters in 2017.

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

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Not even the Dark Knight can resist the cash money that comes with product placement.

In Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman," starring Michael Keaton, the Caped Crusader wore a pair of souped-up Nike Air Trainer sneakers as part of his Batsuit.

Writer and DC Comics fan Chappell Ellison tweeted out photos of the Batsuit's evolution over the years, including this grotesque image of the so-called "Batboot."

The 2005 special edition release of "Batman" included a short video in which the movie's director and costume designers discuss how they iterated on Keaton's Batsuit.

Graham Churchyard, an assistant costume designer, said:

"[Producer] John Peters came to me one day and said 'Warner [Brothers] have this thing going with Nike, can you use any of their sportswear?' I talked to Bob [Ringwood, the lead costume designer] and he said, 'Well, '80s sportswear is not going to fit in with our 1940s look.'

"And then it just came to us, why don't they make the Bat Boots? They made the Batboots from scratch based on one of their cross-trainers at the time. Michael [Keaton] and the stunt guys loved them. They were a really supportive and comfortable boot."

Ellison alleges in her tweet that Burton was not a fan, though we haven't been able to verify that online.

Thankfully, Ben Affleck will not be wearing any such Batboots in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

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NOW WATCH: 'Batman v Superman' is a complete trainwreck, and director Zack Snyder is to blame

The first reviews are out for the highly anticipated "Batman v Superman," and they aren't very good. One of them goes so far as to call it the "'Showgirls' of superhero films." When asked about the critics' response to the film in a recent interview with Yahoo Movies UK, Ben Affleck look really, really sad. And thus a meme was born.

Produced by Chris Snyder

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "Batman v Superman."

The first screenings of "Batman v Superman" have finished and it is a lot to process. 

While the main villains of the film are Doomsday and Lex Luthor, the film hints at a larger force down the line that DC's finest may have to combat. We've seen it teased in one of the film's previous trailers here.

Last chance to head back before spoilers!

In one of the film's best — and maybe most confusing — sequences, Bruce Wayne has a nightmarish vision of an apocalyptic wasteland which feels straight out of "Mad Max."

Batman's wearing a really cool suit — referred to as the Knightmare Batman look.

We see him looking out over a disparate land with a strange Omega symbol. (More on this soon.) If you've been paying close attention to the trailers, this will be familiar.

We see Ben Affleck's Batman fighting a bunch of military men sporting Superman patches.

That's not all. The world is littered with mysterious winged creatures, picking up random people.

The Man of Steel has seemingly lost his good-guy edge and is calling the shots in the future. 

He has the Dark Knight tied up, and unmasks him as Bruce Wayne.

When Wayne finally wakes up, he sees a vision of The Flash (Ezra Miller) through, what appears to be, a time portal or breach from another dimension. It could even be from the future (The Flash can time travel). He warns Batman about someone, presumably Superman:

"You're right about him. You've always been right. She's the key, Lois."

What is going on?

This is all a vision — well most of it. That last part with The Flash seems pretty real.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson previously told Brazilian site Omelete this is a dream sequence and that it had some inspiration from "Mad Max," another Warner Bros.' film.

"Zack had a great idea of this sort of nightmare-ish vision, almost a vision of the future, a post-apocalyptic vision. It's like a dream that Ben has, so we wanted to, it has almost a Mad Max quality to it where it's like the end of the world, trying to survive and then of course Superman and his minions come, so it's sort of a way of representing the amazing amounts of, the sort of obsessive quality that Bruce Wayne has about the threat of Superman."

In case you're not convinced, remember the name of the Batman toy is called Knightmare Batman. In the film, Batman/Bruce Wayne sees Superman as a giant threat to mankind. The first time he saw Superman was while he was tearing down buildings — including a Wayne Financial tower — at the end of "Man of Steel."

He doesn't know Superman like we do. So it's natural for Wayne to see him as a frightening alien and to consider the worst-case scenario of what may occur if Superman is allowed to continue to roam free without consequences.

While we know it's a vision, there's one main takeaway, here. 

There are a lot of hints at DC's "Justice League" villain

Those flying creatures seen in the apocalyptic vision are Parademons.

What are those? They're the minions of an even bigger villain named Darkseid.

Here's how the Parademons look in the comics:

And here's another look at them in animated form going up against Superman:

Who is Darkseid?

Darkseid's an even bigger villain of Superman's than Doomsday. He's the ruler of a number of planets including his home of Apokolips (get it?). All you really need to know about him is that he wants to rule the entire universe. Naturally, Earth seems like a good place to try and conquer.

So back to that mysterious Omega symbol "Mad Max" Batman sees in the ground.

That's a symbol used by Darkseid.

His big power is known as the Omega Effect, which allows him to vaporize anything — person, superhero, or object. He can also send items and people across time and space. Pretty scary stuff. He did it in the comics to Batman in a six-issue series, "Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne." On TV series "Smallville" he was also capable of turning people dark. 

Where does the Flash come in to all this?

Since the Flash has the ability to time travel, it appears he's traveling back in time to warn Bruce Wayne about a future where Darkseid rules the planet. In order to stop it, it sounds like he has to handle Superman.

We hear the Flash say, "You were right about him." (Not sure why the Flash couldn't be more specific. Come on! Make use of your time travel abilities.) Still, it seems pretty clear he's talking about Supes. He mentions Lois, presumably Lane, and says that she's the key. The key to what? Maybe if she was to die, her death would result in Superman going dark and Darkseid rising to prominence. Or, more likely, her death results in Darkseid rising to prominence and turning Superman against the Justice League.

If that's the case, wow. Lane has a lot of power. The death of one journalist results in the destruction of humanity.

It's not certain whether The Flash caused Batman to have this vision or not. Either way, I'm sure we'll learn more about this as the DC Extended Universe continues to unfold on screen.

After "Batman v Superman," Warner Bros. has a full slate of DC Comics movies ready to roll out leading up to a giant two-part "Justice League" movie which will be released in 2017 and 2019. Darkseid may very well be one of the big villains the entire Justice League team will have to face off against together.

"Batman v Superman" is in theaters now.

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NOW WATCH: How Superman's costume has changed since its first time on the big screen

Not only does Batman have a sleek new Batmobile in "Batman v Superman," but his alter ego Bruce Wayne also drives a flashy car.

Wayne drives a green 1957 Aston Martin in the film, according to a recent article in Bloomberg Pursuits.

You can spot the car when Wayne heads to a gala hosted by Lex Luthor.

Here's a better look at the car, a Mark III.

In Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy, Wayne drives three different Lamborghinis— two Murciélagos in "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," and an Aventador in "The Dark Knight Rises." (Murciélago means bat in Spanish.)

Why the change?

The Aston Martin belongs to "Batman v Superman" director Zack Snyder. It's been a favorite car of Snyder's since he began filmmaking.

Bloomberg Pursuits reports he purchased his first used Aston Martin for $28,000. After the success of his 2007 movie "300,"which made $456 million worldwide, Warner Bros. bought him a $350,000 Aston Martin Vanquish and offered him a production deal.

"They don't really do that in Hollywood anymore," said Snyder.

While the car is a favorite of Snyder's, many Batfans will be quick to notice it's also a favorite of James Bond. The latter is often cited as Britain'sBatman and Bond drove an Aston Martin DB10 in last year's "Spectre."

For those who like to make the comparison between the two, this will only add fuel to the fire.

"Batman v Superman" is in theaters March 25, 2016.

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NOW WATCH: Muhammad Ali’s daughter went undercover as an inmate in an Indiana jail — this was her scariest moment

It's time to give a big pat on the back to Warner Bros. marketing.

Flooding promotion of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" has helped the film nab record-breaking box-office numbers over the weekend, and at the same time the studio has cleverly teased another one of its Batman properties, "The Lego Batman Movie."

The studio released a second teaser for the film Monday, less than a week after premiering the first one.

This time around, we find Batman (voiced by Will Arnett), hanging out in Wayne Manor. Dressed in a smoking jacket and a Batman mask, he talks to the picture on the wall of his parents about his saving Gotham — again.

After Alfred (Ralph Fiennes) sneaks up on him, he looks back on all the other times Batman missed his parents, recapping the years of the previous Batman movie releases, including flashes of images like Ben Affleck as the current Dark Knight and the nipple suit from the Val Kilmer/George Clooney era.

"I have aged phenomenally," Batman acknowledges.

Watch the funny teaser below. "The Lego Batman Movie" opens February 2017.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every actor who's played Batman, from best to worst

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NOW WATCH: 'Batman v Superman' is a complete trainwreck, and director Zack Snyder is to blame

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is the No. 1 movie in the US, having opened with a huge $166.1 million. However, the film is a mess. While many people have taken issue with how the film portrays both Batman and Superman, there's an even worse aspect of the movie.

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by David Fang

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For the fans who found Ben Affleck's Dark Knight to be the highlight of "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," some good news: not only will he return for the "Justice League" movies, but there's the possibility of an additional Batman movie based on Affleck's own take on the character.

In a Hollywood Reporter interview with WME-IMG's co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, Whitesell reveals how many movies Affleck has currently signed up for when it comes to DC's Caped Crusader.

"He's contracted to do at least 'Justice League' One and Two, so at least three times wearing the cape," he says, adding, "there's a script that he's written that is a really cool [Batman] idea, so that's out there as an option."

This isn't the first time the prospect of an Affleck-originated Batman movie has been raised. During San Diego Comic-Con last year, THR reported that the actor-director was developing a stand-alone Batman project with DC Entertainment chief creative officer Geoff Johns, with Affleck tentatively attached to direct as well as star.

In addition to the movies Whitesell mentioned, Affleck's Batman will also make a cameo appearance in August's "Suicide Squad," which includes a number of the hero's comic book villains as lead characters (His rumored presence was confirmed in footage from the movie released during Comic-Con last year).

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift and other celebrities who are showing off their lavish spring getaways

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NOW WATCH: Ancient Romans had perfect teeth because their diets were low in one substance

A new "Suicide Squad" trailer debuted during the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night. Not only did fans receive a few new looks at some of DC's biggest villains, but we also got some new footage of Batman who will also be making an appearance in the film.

In the first trailers that have been released for the film, we've seen Batman going for a ride atop the Joker's custom car called a Vaydor. We also know from "Batman v Superman" that the Caped Crusader has a bone or two to pick with the Clown Prince of Crime. In the comics, the Joker brutally kills one of Batman's Robins, something that is hinted at in "BvS."

It doesn't look like Batman will just be going after the Joker in this film, though. We see the Batmobile going for a spin, diving into water, and carrying Harley Quinn.

So what is Batman up to?

It's not totally clear whether this is a flashback sequence or something in the present. If it's in the present, maybe Joker has taken Harley from the Suicide Squad gang and Batman has gone after them. 

However, I'm thinking Batman's appearance may be more of a flashback sequence showing how Harley winded up as a member of the Squad. We know in the present timeline he's going to start finding other metahumans along with Wonder Woman. In "Suicide Squad," I'm more apt to think that each member of the Squad at some point will divulge how they ended up working for the Suicide Squad orchestrator, Amanda Waller. 

If you're familiar with Harley's origin story, we'll see the Joker kidnap Dr. Harleen Quinzel from Arkham Asylum, take her for a dip in a vat of acid, and transform her into his sidekick, Harley Quinn.

My best guess is that this is where Batman will get involved. He may not get the Joker, but it looks like he will jump off of a building, drag Harley out of some body of water, take her for a trip in the Batmobile, and have her locked up.

He probably won't be in the movie for too long, but it will be cool to see how he interacts with both of these characters.

"Suicide Squad" is in theaters August 5.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ben Affleck will direct a stand-alone "Batman" movie, says Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

Affleck portrayed the caped crusader in this year's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and had been rumored to be the studio's top choice to helm the film. Tsujihara confirmed they were moving forward with him in the director's seat Tuesday at CinemaCon, an annual gathering of theater owners in Las Vegas.

The stand-alone Batman feature is part of Warner Bros. plans for an expanded DC Comics cinematic universe, similar to that of the Disney and Marvel collaboration. Warner Bros. has at least 10 features in the works, including "Suicide Squad," ''Wonder Woman" and "Justice League." Unsurprisingly, those films comprised a major portion of Warner Bros.' presentation, signaling that the studio is moving forward energetically with its original plans despite reports that perhaps "Batman v Superman" is not performing as well at the box office as the studio would have liked.

Affleck, who is also directing "Live By Night" for the studio, made an appearance with Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane. He confirmed that both would be joining Zack Snyder's "Justice League," which is currently in production in London.

"Suicide Squad" director David Ayer and stars Will Smith and Margot Robbie were on hand as well to hype the supervillains gone straight pic, which launches on Aug. 5 with intense footage focusing heavily on Robbie's Harley Quinn.

Warner Bros. also trotted out stars and footage from a number of their upcoming films including the Harry Potter spinoff "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," ''The Lego Batman Movie," the Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling comedy "The Nice Guys," and the Emilia Clarke romantic drama "Me Before You."

But beyond the individual films, a big focus was the studio's ongoing commitment to its filmmakers and the specialness of theatrical presentation.

The threat of The Screening Room, a proposed at-home viewing experience of first-run movies, has loomed large over the annual conference where theater owners come not just to check out the new studio slates and mingle with stars, but to see the latest technologies that promise to enhance the theatrical experience for audiences. Major filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have come out in support of the service, but the industry on the whole remains divided.

"I assure you we are not going to let a third party or middle man come between us," Tsujihara told the audience of exhibitors. "When there are new technologies ... we will explore them with each of you. We know the status quo is not an option."

Not every studio has taken a hard stand. On Monday, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams — a Screening Room backer — urged the conference to be open-minded about innovations.

"Hangover" director Todd Phillips on Tuesday, however, came out strongly against the idea of the Screening Room without mentioning it directly while promoting his new Jonah Hill and Miles Teller comedy "War Dogs."

"Why are we in such a rush to turn movies into television? It doesn't make sense to me. Movies are special," Phillips said. "We need to do everything we can to protect that part of the experience."

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For the first time, a DC Comic original movie will have an R rating.

“Batman: The Killing Joke,” which stars longtime voice of the animated version of the Dark Knight, Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamill as the Joker (he too has done that voice in the past), is an adaptation of a 1988 comic in which the Clown Prince of Crime gets Batman’s attention by capturing and torturing Batgirl (voiced by Tara Strong), according to Entertainment Weekly.

The animated film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD later this year following its world premiere at Comic-Con this summer.

“From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the original story — regardless of the eventual MPAA rating,” said Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation & Warner Digital Series, in a statement. “‘The Killing Joke’ is revered by the fans, particularly for its blunt, often-shocking adult themes and situations. We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience — the comics-loving community — with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well.”

According to the EW story, Warner Bros. has no plans of releasing a PG-13 version.

This continues the studio’s path of releasing more mature comic-book material to the superhero fan base.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” was released last month in PG-13 form, but there will be an R-rated extended cut released on home video (and possibly a theatrical version of it, too, if you believe the rumors).

SEE ALSO: James Cameron just announced 4 more "Avatar" movies — here's when they're coming out

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Bobby Holland Hanton is a stunt double for Daniel Craig, Chris Hemsworth, and Channing Tatum, among others. 

He's done some crazy things in his lifetime, but Hanton told INSIDER about his craziest stunt to date — the one that launched his career.

Story by Sarah Schmalbruch and editing by Chelsea Pineda

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