Ben Affleck is The New Batman

[omega 616]

On one hand maybe Batman wont sound like a fucking tool now. On the other Ben Affleck has never really seemed a good actor to me, maybe I haven't seen enough of his films though.

He looks more like a receptionist or PA than a billionaire crime fighter.

For the whole Heath ledger thing, I never really heard anything about him till "OMG, best joker ever" AFTER he died. My feeling was a lot of people were thinking "Heath who? Knights tale? Never heard of him" and now he is considered some kind of acting genius.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Well guess I won't go see anymore Batman movies.

<spoiler= I'm a just leave this little screengrab here>
Nevermind, ninja'd up the page

Alternatively, remember the backlash when washed up Robert Downey Jr was cast as Tony Stark? Of course you don't.
Give the man a chance he's a perfectly capable actor (I can see him being a great Bruce Wayne, even if he lacks the slightly menacing streak of Christian Bale), it hinges on the script and Christopher Nolan's ability to reign in his contempt for comic books more than anything else.

In fact I think the whole thing hinges on DC/Warner finding someone else than Nolan, who seems to be frustrated that he's making 12a comic book movies instead of the much darker fare he's done in the past. I don't think he wants to carry DC movies forwards half as much as DC wants him to, nor do I think Zack Snyder is the best choice either, there needs to be some new blood.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

people conveniently forgetting that Heath Ledger surprised the hell out of us with the Joker. But then again I suppose that somehow doesn't count because of...um...uh...well, just because. Anyway, Affleck's been on an upswing ever since he reinvented himself. He's been three for three with his own movies and he's always been a good actor. This actually interests me more than most casting just because it's so left field.

 

[BabySinclair]

I'm willing to hold judgement on Affleck as Batman. The script in Daredevil was all kinds of crappy so I really can't say if it was his fault or the script's. He's definitely shown improvement in acting so I'm hopeful, mainly because I don't expect to see the same dark and brooding version of Batman like in the Nolan trilogy, probably closer to the DC Animated Universe.

My main concern is still the fact that Snyder is running the show and given that I was disappointed the last time, I'm not to hopeful for round 2.

 

[KnightOfTwo]

I'll admit that Affleck can act, and is an even better writer/director but I can't actually picture him in the role. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he is going to fail at it, I'll have to see something on it before I can make any judgements of believability or quality. When I try to picture him, I just can't.

People keep using the Heath Ledger surprised as the Joker defense. I'd like to say an even more surprising one (at least for me) was Mark Ruffalo's breakout as Bruce Banner in the Avengers.

Really though I say this hinges more on the writing/producing/directing team on this. With Nolan and Snyder still attached I'm more concerned by that. I wasn't a fan of Man of Steel, didn't hate it but I didn't enjoy it either. I don't think Affleck is suited to the role, but then again I can't really say I've liked anyone in the films, they all had their problems though I would say that has more to do with the writers or directors not knowing what to do with the character. Nolan made good use of the character but it was in his own "I loathe comic books" style which worked for those films because they stripped out all the absurdity. With Batman paired up with an actual alien, the absurdity is back on the table whether they want it or not so I don't see how that team will manage to get this down anyway.

Basically while I don't see Affleck doing well in the role, I'm not tempted or interested in seeing this moreso because of everyone else attached to it (with the exception of Cavill who I thought was pretty decent in spite of the lack of direction for his character).

And for those saying Nathan Fillion should be Aquaman or Green Lantern. I'll throw my hat out there and say he would make a better Green Arrow, but that's just me.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

uh... i think i threw up in a mouth a little when I heard this... Ben Affleck? as the dark Knight? did they run out of good actors to pick from? I was all set to watch the superman/batman film until i heard this.. no way i'm watching it now.. R.I.P. good Batman movies.. you shall be missed

 

[Chester Rabbit]

You know what, my favourite live action Batman actor is Michael Keeton, you know Beatle Juice...so I am willing to give Ben a shot. I mean hell look at what Heath Ledger who was known for his pretty boy roles at the time gave us. No one saw that one coming did they.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

Batman is - to me - one of those dual roles. You have the Batman side -the super-hero, dark, man with a purpose fighting evil that skews towards the "crazy" end and then you have the Bruce Wayne side - man of the world, business mogul, charity ball attending, life of the party, heart-throb. It's a little like James Bond - who has to be equal parts action hero and subtle spy.

Actors cast for these parts tend to favor one side and fall down on the other. Sticking with Batman. Michael Keaton was probably the best at both sides, for all he was slightly in the middle with both of them equally at least. George Clooney was a really good Bruce Wayne, but a rather awful Batman. Val Kilmer was not really enough on the Bruce Wayne front, but his Batman was... let's call it passible. Christian Bale... I really did not think he managed Bruce Wayne at all - not the traditional Bruce at least, more of a playboy young-Bruce maybe - it was a little too Dawson's Creek for me with the Rachel thing, honestly. He was good at the Batman side (minus the increasingly intense voice-thing).

I think Ben Affleck has a shot at being good on both sides, but, like Keaton, I think he's going to end up in the middle on each. Which is, for me at least, better than being good at one and not at all good at the other.

It's a hard role to pull off, given the extremes of the character.

 

[search_rip]

See Daredevil. It is an imperfect movie, but I think he was very good as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, which is a cross between a poor man's Spiderman and Batman.

Kills me, that movie needed just a few tweeks and it could have been great. Instead, it is on some people's top 5 list of worst super hero movies ever. It doesn't deserve that

I agree, Daredevil IMO has a lot of problems, mainly Elektra, Bullseye and even Kingpin but Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock was a good choice BUT I just can't picture him as Batman even is the characters have some similarities, anyway, some people say "oh but Argo, his Oscar and blah blah blah" just remember that as far as we know Affleck is not going to write nor direct the sequel of Man of Steel so, as other people had written, if it sucks is Snyder's fault.

 

[Frost27]

Some men just want to watch the world derp.

Why couldn't they just pick up where Nolan and Bale left off and have Joseph Gordon Levitt put on the cowl for a couple of movies? Sure he wouldn't be the perfect Batman, but he isn't Ben Affleck.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Pretty sure everyone had the same reaction when Heath Ledger was announced to play as Joker.

So since that turned out well, I'll hold off judgement till i see something of a trailer with BATFLECK in it.

 

[KazeAizen]

No fair I posted this topic first. lol oh well had to figure an actual escapist writer/mod would post this eventually.

 

[Nuxxy]

I've been thinking about it, and you know what? Give me a Batman who doesn't wear armor and move like a stiff, but wears the suit and has the moves of the Animated Series, who has a little bit of a sense of humour (especially with Alfred), who is a detective, and whose primary interest is justice and not anger-based revenge...give me that and I wouldn't care which actor was used.

Or better yet, just get a stuntman who looks and can act the part, and have Kevin Conroy dub his voice. PROBLEM SOLVED!

 

[gorfias]

I agree, Daredevil IMO has a lot of problems, mainly Elektra, Bullseye and even Kingpin but Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock was a good choice BUT I just can't picture him as Batman even is the characters have some similarities, anyway, some people say "oh but Argo, his Oscar and blah blah blah" just remember that as far as we know Affleck is not going to write nor direct the sequel of Man of Steel so, as other people had written, if it sucks is Snyder's fault.

My problem was the writing:
1) Does Daredevil have/develop a code against killing? He throws a wounded Bullseye through a window and out a building to his likely death. Then he doesn't kill the Kingpin.
2) Daredevil does NOT beat up the Kingpin in a fistfight. Especially not while near mortally wounded.

I may be alone in this, but I loved this version of Bullseye. He differs from the comic book but in interesting ways.

I have heard Affleck is playing an older Batman (and Affleck is in his early 40s now.) I'm thinking the idea is, he was around a long time before Superman.

I hope they lay off the Superman as Jesus allegory (He is supposed to ultimately be one of us, the ultimate immigrant: not simply state that he is from Kansas). Get a new Lois Lane. Somehow, forget that his Clark Kent cover story is absurd, especially around Lois. Get Superman some dang friends! He is not a wierdo loner. See Smallville and the comic books. Forget he let his dad die. Keep the Superman actor. Keep the suit. Keep Fishburne as Perry White. But, almost do a reboot of this reboot. And to the extent it has any conflict between Superman and Batman, make it like the snarky Wayne in Kingdom Come or this:

 

[00slash00]

They cast someone we don't want. Logically the most reasonable course of action now is the write off the movie completely, without seeing any trailers or even pictures of Ben as Batman. Seems perfectly logical to me.

When you buy something at the grocery store and see, "New recipe" on the box, do you immediately assume the food is going to taste like shit?

 

[EnglishBlues]

Honestly, this could go either way. And I'll take Daredevil over some of those other Marvel movies ANY day of the week.

I'm lookin' at you, Punisher and Fantastic Four, and you both should still be sorry.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Just going to point this out, no one thought Micheal Keaton would make a good Batman either. Now people have debates over if Keaton or Bale is a better Batman. I'll give him a shot and see how he does, but honestly as long as the "Bale" voice isn't used when he is Batman it will make it some what more enjoyable.

 

[Taurus Vis]

I honestly can see where people are coming from with the hatred, but let's be serious for a moment. Affleck is not a hack. He is a serious presence right now, he recently won an oscar, he has writing and directing expertise (which could help him guide Snyder since Zack sometimes fails in the script department when he is trying to make things visually amazing) and he is well on his way to becoming one of the dramatic big wigs in Hollywood. We need to give him a chance.

That being said, he will not be as good as Bale. Say what you will about Christian Bales "Cancer voice", he was intimidating, brooding, brutally violent, and when he changed from anarchic anti-hero to douche bag playboy, it was believable. Christian Bale is the quintessential method actor in Hollywood at the moment. He went from being under 100 lbs for the machinist to over 200 lbs of muscle for Batman begins. He knows the nuances of the character, and I really think he made you sorry for him, as much as you were in awe of him.

Ben Affleck's strength is in Drama. His character portrayals in Good Will Hunting and Argo show his range in that regard. He failed to be a Romantic comedy draw (you'll never beat Matthew Mcconaughey, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum in the romantic schlock department), he also failed to be an action star in Daredevil, although he gave it a good shot. I think he will be able to play Bruce Wayne, but the weakness will come when he needs to don the cowel, because Ben Affleck is neither brutal or intimidating.

Maybe he'll do some crazy P90X and be good, who knows, I still think Karl Urban or John Hamm would have been better as Batman and Bruce Wayne respectively.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I'll reserve judgement until we get a lot more information, but I've always thought Ben Affleck had a very punchable face. When he makes that smarmy look I just want to deck him.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Because, just like someone already mentioned, ledger was fairly untried and unknown to many.

Most people have seen a great deal of Affleck's movies.

Ledger was not exactly a neophyte by the time he got the part of the Joker either. Furthermore, Affleck from ten years ago is not Affleck now. He's reinvented himself, he's gotten better, and he's gotten more picky about his roles. And considering the fact that people questioned even the GOOD castings of the Batman series (such Michael Keaton, Tom Hardy, Maggie Gylenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neesonn, etc), this is just par for the course. I can't help bu feel people are going to be embarrassed when in turns out their suspicions were just them overreacting.