Affleck's approach to the project was that it would tell an original story while still drawing heavy influence from a wide variety of Batman stories, including Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, the Knightfall trilogy, and the Rocksteady video game Batman: Arkham Asylum. The story featured Deathstroke, orchestrating a breakout at the asylum to tire Batman and make him vulnerable, systematically dismantling Batman's life and killing those close to him as revenge for the death of his son at Batman's hands, before fighting him in the streets of Gotham. Gordon's daughter Barbara was also a major part of the script, donning her Batgirl costume and allying with Batman. Johns said the film would also explore the death of Robin, which was hinted at in both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
