Ben Affleck is Batman in the next Man of Steel movie. Don’t panic! At least, not until you’ve read my chat with Jeff about this whole #Batfleck thing.
Darrin: So… Bat Affleck. What was your initial reaction? Because mine was panic.
Jeff: It kind of shocked me, but I didn’t panic. Affleck was certainly a pick I didn’t see coming. Has your tone changed?
Darrin: Well, after letting it sink in, panic gave way to acceptance. People like to point out Daredevil, which while not perfect, wasn’t as bad as everyone says (especially the Director’s cut) and he has grown a LOT as an actor since then. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Jeff: And it’s not like Daredevil was a bad film because of Affleck. It’s not even like he has to redeem himself. Ben Affleck is a good actor.
Darrin: Right, that was more of studio executive meddling than anything else. I’m still not completely on board with Batman vs Superman in the first place (a little cliche if you ask me). But there have been good actors screwing up Batman before. George Clooney, prime example.
Jeff: Well, that was a very, very bad movie. Blaming Clooney is just as fair as blaming Michael Gough.
Darrin: Clooney played as stiff as cardboard. He’s even apologized about his performance. He KNEW it was bad.
Jeff: Okay, that’s fair.
Darrin: But we digress. Affleck will need to bulk up a bit, but the whole “older, wiser than Clark” thing is conceivable.
Jeff: Yeah, that’s part of why I’m behind the choice. An established Batman makes sense, given that we just had a trilogy wrap up. Moviegoers are smart enough to remember what happened there, and likely know that this isn’t that same Batman.
Darrin: Yeah, but there are still plenty who immediately reacted with “but what about Bale?” So there will need to be a little bit of setup but probably not much, and Affleck can pull off “rich white guy” because he IS one.
Jeff: Haha. He might just pull that off.
Darrin: But compare his work in Gigli to Argo. No question he’s improved.
Jeff: Absolutely. I was just about to bring up that Ben Affleck in 2003 isn’t Ben Affleck in 2013.
Darrin: Right. People seem to think Daredevil is the only movie he’s made, because their argument really doesn’t hold up after that.
Jeff: So, we can almost certainly say he can pull off the character, assuming the screenplay is solid. And it’s a Goyer script, so there’s a good chance the movie will understand Batman.
Darrin: Right. It just needs to make sure he doesn’t outshine Superman. It’s HIS sequel after all.
Jeff: Do you think he can pull off the look? Looking at the first four, it’s clear that not every actor can pull off the look.
Darrin: Almost anyone looks like Batman with the mask on. His face is still a bit too “pretty” for my bat-tastes, but I think it’s possible. People didn’t think Heath Ledger had the look of the Joker, and we all know how that worked out.
Jeff: Oh, absolutely. Heath was unrecognizable to me.
Darrin: True, more makeup involved, but it’s reasonable
Jeff: Like you, I’m cautiously optimistic.
Darrin: The more I think about it the more at peace I am. But still cautious.
Jeff: And it’s safe to be. To the Batcave?
