Ben Affleck Was "Reluctant" to Take Batman Role

[Hero in a half shell]

it would be both different from the great movies that Chris [Nolan] and Christian [Bale] made but still in keeping with tradition

I'd like to imagine this means he'll be totally Westing it up.

Screw realistic Marvel style, we're going in light-hearted, cartoonish, and pure rule of cool.

 

[Buizel91]

WHY THE HELL IS EVERYONE SO SKEPTICAL ABOUT BEN AFFLECK PLAYING BATMAN?

Seriously, he's had a few 'off' movies but he's had far more hits. He has shown that he can do comedy, drama, and everything in-between, far better than a lot of actors I can name. For the comedy side we have Dogma, Chasing Amy, and Mallrats. For the drama, far more suited for Batman, we have Good Will Hunting, The Sum of All Fears, State of Play, The Town, Gone Baby Gone, and the most relevant of all I feel, Argo. He has acting chops, serious ones, in films that have gone on to win or be nominated for very prestigious awards. He easily matches, if not out-classes, Christian Bale (one of my favourite actors no less) as an actor, yet people still think he's a bad choice for Batman.

I just don't understand it. Can someone please elaborate for me because I am seriously baffled by the reaction of the so-called 'fans' here...

He is pretty decent in Runner Runner as well, if that's anything to go by we know he can play a multi millionaire very well :')

and we know he can portray a superhero decently, Daredevil is seriously underrated. Perfect? No, the script was corny as hell and Bullseye wasn't well done, but Affleck, along with guy who played King Pin (cant remember his name but i should! >.<) pretty much saved the film.

 

[GladiatorUA]

I'm more worried about Snyder being director and writer than Affleck being Batman.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I don't understand why they wanted him if he was so reluctant to play Batman.

Because of Zack's artistic vision. You can't argue with artistic visions.

Sure we can, we've been arguing with it since it was announced.

/OP I think the "reluctant" news is just to appease detractors of the whole thing. It doesn't matter whether he was reluctant or not - the key word here is "initially". Initially he was reluctant, just as, initially, most people were reluctant. But he's no longer reluctant, and neither should everybody else.

I don't much care for Affleck. He's OK as the straight leading type, tops. Not an actor with a very wide range. Maybe he'll be fine as Batman. My main problem is, I can never see him as anyone BUT Ben Affleck, which is not a problem I had with Bale. I forgot Christian Bale was Christian Bale, I could see Bruce Wayne and Batman on their own (never mind if I agree with the portrayal - the man can mask his persona). And I don't think Affleck can. I don't think he can make us forget he's Affleck.

 

[Robeltu]

I just realized the batman mask will perfectly fit around his stubble. He was born to play Batman.

 

[Doug]

I don't have a problem with Affleck as Batman. My problem is with the fact that WB is rushing the whole Superman vs Batman thing right after Man of Steel. I think they should of waited one more movie, but they desperately want to catch up to Marvel in establishing their own cinematic comic-verse.

Agreed - I don't think Affleck is likely to be a good batman (BUT much stranger things have happened) - but frankly this movie seemed rushed, fan-service-ish, and just trying to compete directly with the Avengers, because its like every game being moved towards competing with Halo or Call of Duty, even if their in completely different genres.

Basically, if the movie is rubbish, I doubt it'll be Affleck who broke it.

 

[Cabisco]

Basically, if the movie is rubbish, I doubt it'll be Affleck who broke it.

That is very true, the problem is I believe he will be blamed for it and it will yet again set back his career no matter how well he is individually. Considering how many people disliked Superman I can't see adding a new Batman into the mix making it any better especially as DC related movies haven't been known as being particularly good. I think Affleck would make a good Batman, it's just that I have no faith in this movie and can't help but feel he'll get unfair blame for its inevitable collapse.

 

[cerebus23]

I hated, hated, hated bale as batman, he just doesn't look like a batman, I could barely stand watching those movies.

At least Batfleck looks like a batman, I think he will do a fine job.

Really? How does afleck look like batman, bruce wayne exactly?

Granted i did not care for bale either, but bale looks more bruce wayne than afleck does.

But i want a huge steroid square jaw batman, ditch the rubber suits, hell you can get spidersilk skin that is bulletproof, i think we can manage a good old arkham asylum games suit spandex but armored and reinforced up, and it s perfectly plausable and looks better than some rubber monstrosity that actors cannot move in.

There are any number of fan films with the grey and black spandex and some actors just rock it.

All that said afleck deserves a chance. but it is kinda in the same vein as when you say hear that michael keaton was doing batman, neither looks much like batman you think looks like, neither is built the way you think batman is built like, both have rather all over the place acting careers, but neither has done much that screams omg hes batamn.

keaton rocked it for what he had to work with though, maybe afleck can do the same. afleck is a pretty big comic guy one of his best friends has written batman and is a super comic geek.

Counter balanced by the idea that zack snyder and the nolan crew is doing it and from what we have seen of man of steel and TDKR nolan team is great at fan service, but short on respecting or liking the characters or caring to accurately portray them.

and the more big splody scenes seem to be more snyders doing and i am all on board for big destruction, but you got to get superman stopping some of that destruction, or at lest caring about it, it just rings as so utterly fake and fail when you reach the end and suddenly supes has a moment of conscience because some random family is about to get fried by zods lazor eyes, go ask smallville or the whole of downtown metropolis that is utterly wrecked whole buildings just obliterated during the day when people out doing stuff and not even a eyelid batted but omg generic family x is about to die.

garbage writing, no character consistency or much of the core of superman to be seen at all, the dark knight started off good but by the third movie nolan had just pissed over the idea of batman, turned batman from the core of bruce waynes psyche to a sometime hobby he could just be or not be.

This movie could be a disaster just from the get go no matter if afleck turns out to be brilliant. Why the hell cant we just get BTAS or the team that does the arkham games from BTAS to make a movie script or at the very lest someone that will try to bring the actual characters to the movie.

 

[Exterminas]

Can we just give this guy a chance and watch how things play out?

Daredevil was TEN years ago. In the meantime, Affleck has really grown as a Director and as an actor. Even if you think Daredevil was the worst movie ever made (which it was not), you should cut this guy a second chance in light of all the ways that movies and super hero movies have changed in the last decade.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I still like this decision more and more to have him play batman.

Besides, all he has to do is be better than George Cloony, even though in reality Bale was a terrible batman. Great Wayne, awful batman.