Film industry bible Variety reports that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have signed Ben Affleck to play the Caped Crusader in the upcoming Superman/Batman crossover film (or, in Variety parlance, B.Aff’s Boffo Bat Bonanza!). Are you down with this casting decision, or do you think it’s a bad idea? Vote in our poll.
As far as I’m aware, this will make Affleck the only actor to don the iconic costumes for both Superman (as he did in the movie ‘Hollywoodland‘, where he played actor George Reeves) and now Batman. Still, he strikes me as an odd choice. Although I think he might be a fairly good fit as the wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne side of the character, I have trouble picturing him in the Batsuit – especially after how badly his attempt to play a costumed crimefighter in ‘Daredevil‘ went.
He also strikes me as being a little too old now to play dress-up like this, unless the character’s age will be specifically addressed in the story, as it was in Frank Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ comic.
After audiences burned out on him as a movie star, Affleck has tried in recent years to reinvent himself as an A-List filmmaker. You’d think that he’d want to capitalize on the Best Picture win for ‘Argo’ with another Oscar bait drama that might finally nab him a Best Director nomination (if not win). This seems like really bad timing to put on tights and a cape if he wants the Academy to take him seriously. On the other hand, Affleck was rumored to be in talks with DC and Warner to direct the eventual ‘Justice League’ superhero team-up flick (which is practically guaranteed to be a billion-dollar blockbuster), so maybe signing on to play Batman in this one is a negotiating tactic towards that. (Zack Snyder was already confirmed to direct the Superman/Batman movie.)
Despite some career missteps he’s made over the years, I kind of like Affleck, both as an actor and a director. I’m not sure how this will work out, but I’ll reserve judgment for now and wait to see how it looks closer to the 2015 release date.
Loading ...A friend of mine on Facebook found this great quote from 2006:
By playing a superhero in Daredevil, I inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero. Wearing a costume was a source of humiliation for me and something I wouldn’t want to do again.
– Ben Affleck
Feel free to use the Comments section of this post to make “Caped Crusadah” jokes about Affleck’s Boston accent.
bryan kluger
Based on that quote, maybe Warner Bros. will give him the Justice Leage movie to direct if he plays Batman or vice-versa.
Shannon Nutt
Reserving judgment…I didn’t think Michael Keaton would make a good Batman either, and he turned out great.
Jason
should have gone with Jon Hamm. Bring back the world’s greatest detective.
Mike
I’d still love Keaton to come back for the Dark Knight Returns storyline, or as I suggested last November, Christian Bale if they let enough time go by. In addition to major money, I still think WB could have interested him by matching that money for funds for the Aurora, CO victims.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/roundtable-belated-sequels/#more-42946
Pedram
I don’t see Affleck as having the body type for this, especially after Bale established Batman as a bulked up Batman who could actually fight in real life. Back when Keaton and the others played him, it could be fathomed that a super hero wouldn’t have to be very fit, but these days it’s different.
Now that he’s going to be beside a bulked up Henry Cavill (and also compared with the Marvel characters like Cap. America and Thor who are also pretty muscular), I hope he does some bulking up of his own so it’s actually believable when he beats up a group of bad guys.
bluto18
I’ve seen the argument about Affleck’s build on other sites, but didn’t anyone see The Town? The dude’s not exactly doughy. I think it’s at least an interesting choice. I just find it funny that Affleck has enjoyed this seemingly universal resurgence and praise in recent years (especially the last year), yet somehow when this announcement was made he immediately became Gigli Ben again. This isn’t Affleck from ten years ago. Give the guy a chance.
flop
I’ll admit it. I actually liked “Daredevil”. That said, I’m not sold on the idea of a Batman/Superman crossover and Affleck certainly wouldn’t be my first choice. I think Eric Bana would have been better, but nobody asked me.
Timcharger
Gotta add my comments from the Man of Steel thread:
Surprisingly, I DO want to see the follow-up, you-can’t-be-serious joke be true.
Matt Damon reunited with Ben Affleck as Robin.
The caped crusaders fight crime South Boston style.
“Hey Joker, howd you like dem apples!”
“Hey Two-Face, who spilled hot chowda ovar haf your face?”
Yahzee Snow Skellington
… I really can’t understand all the hate towards Daredevil. I really liked the film that got out in theaters, and I definitely love the Director’s Cut. I’ve always been a fan of Ben Affleck and I think he did superb in Daredevil, and though he is not the man I pictured as the new Batman (that was Josh Brolin), I think he has already proved that he has the acting chops to pull off the role. People went crazy when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman 25 years ago, and that without Internet around, and in the end it worked perfectly, and to this day he is for me the definitive Batman. But then again I think I live in a different reality than most people.
Austin
Anyone but Bale.
Timcharger
Imagine a Ben Affleck versus Chris Evans Battle Royal:
In this corner, we have Superman & Batman defending their title against the challengers Human Torch & Captain America for the tag-team Heavyweight Title of the World!
Lord Bowler
I don’t think they should go with a “name” actor for Superman.
Better off picking an up and comer like they did with Superman. Affleck is too identifiable from other roles, I think. And, will his Batman be a darker, moodier Daredevil?
Pedram
Was your first sentence supposed to say “for Batman”?
csm101
It’s not that i hate Ben Affleck, but after hearing Josh Brolin might do it or Jon Hamm , I feel like Im always gonna wonder what if… At least he has a good hero chin, but then again so does Josh Brolin.
csm101
A no name actor would of been cool too.
Dantes
Ben Affleck is awful for this role, i think that Chris Evans who play Captain America is the perfect match to cast this role, i don’t think that somebody alse can pull this off, this is equivalent to put Nicolas Cage in the role of Superman is awful too.
Zuria
Might as well cast Affleck. This movie has disaster written all over it…
Drew
Ben Affleck is actually pretty ripped and big, these days. He’s considerably taller than Henry Cavill, and their stature isn’t much different.
With that said, WHO CARES?!? The entire concept of this film is DISASTROUS; ATROCIOUS; BLATANTLY IDIOTIC; MIND-NUMBINGLY AWFUL!!! Insert your own adjectives, if those don’t cover it.
It’s a terrible casting decision for a terrible movie. That makes it a perfect match!
This has all of the makings of the next ‘Batman and Robin’. Get ready!
Trond Michelsen
Having Ben Affleck playing Batman is ridiculus. Didn’t these people learn anything after the travesties of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman or Heath Ledger as the Joker?
Timcharger
You’re serious?! Ledger sucked as the Joker? Okay…
(Pretending to see a friend at the party and walking away.)
Trond Michelsen
Absolutely. Everybody agreed that Ledger would be horrible as the Joker.
http://i.imgur.com/MpguI.jpg
Timcharger
You mean: many thought Ledger WOULD suck, but DID he suck?
That link had Homophobes who thought Ledger would make it Darkbroke Knightback Mountain. Real nice people there.
Trond Michelsen
What I mean is that up until the movie was released, the general consensus on the internet was that Heath Ledger as The Joker was the worst casting ever in the history of movies.
This was also the case when Anne Hathaway was cast as Catwoman.
And, if we go a bit back, I seem to recall that several usenet groups completely freaked out when it was announced that Tom Cruise would play Lestat in Interview with the Vampire.
So, forgive me for being a bit sarcastic when “the internet” again goes off the handle when they don’t like a casting choice for a movie.
Wayne
I still stand on my opposition to Tom Cruise as Lestat. I do not think he was the right choice at all.
William Henley
🙂 I saw the movie SEVERAL times before I read the book. I think I have mroe issues with Kirsten Dunst as Claudia – while she was WONDERFUL in the movie, she was a little old for the role. Although I don’t think you would have been able to get a younger actress to be able to give as convincing of a role.
I just think its funny that we have a Spaniard playing a Frenchmen (well, actually, in the books, I think he was originally from Italy.)
I just really like the movie, and really like the books. I would love to see The Vampire Lestat made into a movie. Actually, what I would really like to see is maybe like a high-budget television series made from the books – cover all the books in like 4-5 years, and if the show is successful, start doing the witch books as well.
Chris Boylan
Well played, Trond, well played.
malakai
I absolutely hate Christian Bale and his inability to express emotions (maybe the reason why he was OK in Equilibrium) … But he somehow managed to become a batman that was acceptable to the mainstream moviegoer. If Bale can do it, who’s to say Affleck can’t? Affleck has to maintain a serious attitude and posture in this though. Trying to add humor in any way, shape, or form, will result in total failure. I don’t even want this motha’ crackin’ a smirk or grin in this film. He can’t walk funny. He can’t slouch in any way. If that means shoving a corncob up his butt the entire time of filming and connecting it to electric wires, so be it.
Csm101
I am looking forward to hearing Affleck’s Batman voice, maybe he’ll go really high pitch!
Shannon Nutt
I don’t know why he’d need a special voice…growling was unique to Bale – West, Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney’s Batman voice was the same as their Bruce Wayne voice.
Julian
A special voice makes it harder to identify Batman as Bruce Wayne, which was a brilliant Bale decision (even if he overdid it in the second movie).
Timcharger
“A friend of mine on Facebook”
What does that mean? He’s kind of, sort of, might be a friend? Josh, he’s not in the real friend category yet?
Maybe I’m just not hip to kid’s vernacular these days. Hey you, get off my lawn!
Timcharger
Cavill: Nice batmobile, Batman.
Affleck: It’s now called da Batcah.
Bale: What did you do with the Tumbler?
Affleck: I gotta rid of it; it wah too big, too hahd to pahk da Tumblah.
Timcharger
Cavill: Bale, why are using your growling voice? You do know my Xray vision can see your identity.
Bale: (growling voice) Sshutt Uupp!
Freakyguy666
At least expectations are now set so low for this movie that even if it’s halfway decent it would be a positive surprise….that said, I didn’t like Man of Steel or Daredevil, so I wasn’t expecting a good movie to begin with NO MATTER WHO THEY CAST as batman. The whole thing reeks of studio execs’ desperation for an Avengers-type team-up without any continuity or build-up from either franchise.
If you are looking forward to seeing this movie you are an idiot.
Timcharger
I’m so looking forward to seeing this.
😉
Csm101
I am so looking forward to seeing this!
William Henley
I’m just loot-warm to this decision. I choose the “No, he will be awful” choice, but my opinion is really more along the lines of “I just don’t see it”, so its like midway between the “No” and the “I’ll reserve judgement” choice.
Of course, I am a little burned out on Batman at the moment. I think they should let the franchise rest for a few years. This will be like the “Enterprise” of the Batman movies – even if it is good, I think fan-fatigue will kill it before it even comes out.
GregHDBluRay
Affleck it too old to play Batman. He’s 41 now. By the time Justice League or the Batman reboot is done, he’ll be in his mid to late forties. His chin is also another reason to go another direction. Who wouldn’t recognize that ultra clefed chin as Bruce Wayne’s. At least Man of Steel wisely decided not to go the “Lois won’t recognize Clark as Superman if he wears glasses” Find someone in their early thirties to continue the franchise.
Shannon Nutt
That was the whole point…Warners was looking for older – they want a Batman who has established himself as a superhero…not someone as fresh out of the box as Superman. They want a Batman that Superman will learn to respect and take advice from.
Archangel
I did not like Michael Keaton as the pick and he did okay as Batman but not Bruce Wayne.
E-boy
“I don’t see Affleck as having the body type for this, especially after Bale established Batman as a bulked up Batman who could actually fight in real life.”
Well here’s the problem: You compare Affleck to Bale? Why? I think the whole point is that all these Batman actors should be a bit different – like with Bond etc. You all want Affleck to growl like Bale? Move like Bale? I do not.
I mean to me it’s pretty clear that Affleck is the new Batman FOR THIS FILM. I doubt that he’s the “new Batman” for the next stand-alone Batman film (or trilogy or whatever).
Batman is like Bond. Just as you’re getting used to that one particular actor there will be another actor. And that’s how it should be.
Bryan
Count me in the group that really liked Affleck as Daredevil (especially in the much-better director’s cut). I think Ben has grown a lot as an actor/filmmaker in the past 10 years. I’m certainly willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and am actually kind of looking forward to what kind of spin he might put on the character.
Jayson
I would have rather seen him as Lex Luthor. I think he could have pulled off that part better than a grizzled crime fighter but I guess we will see.