14 DAY TRIAL // Warner Bros. confirmed today that Ben Affleck would be playing Batman in the “Man of Steel” sequel from Zack Snyder, tentatively called “Batman vs. Superman.” The unexpected and, according to many a fan, very ill-advised, casting choice has broken the Internet.
On Twitter alone, you will find many angry fans expressing their disappointment under the hashtags #BetterBatmanThanBenAffleck and #BenAffleckBatman, where they’re basically saying that Snyder and Warners pretty much cut the branch under their feet by picking the guy who also did – and ruined – Daredevil.
But Twitter isn’t the only place where upset fans come to vent, with comments sections on major movie blogs and e-zines being flooded with replies like “NO!”, “hell no,” “what.the.” and more elaborate ones that explain why Affleck as Batman is the worst idea ever.
Let’s chill for a second and think: yes, Affleck did “Daredevil” and, yes, it was one of the worst superhero movies of all time. No doubt about that.
Then again, it’s not like he was the film’s biggest problem. It would have probably flopped even with a different actor.
Yes, Ben Affleck did “Gigli,” which is what I like to call one of the most inane films ever shown on the big screen. When not even Al Pacino can save a movie, you know it’s bad.
Then again, Affleck also did “The Town” and “Argo,” both of which put him back on the map and earned him a spot in the Hollywood hall of fame.
Without a doubt, Affleck is today a very solid director, and he’s also matured a lot as an actor. If you take Christian Bale’s Batman out of the equation (though I personally believe it’s impossible), you can see why he deserves at least a chance at proving his worth.
What I’m saying is that, while I don’t think this is a great casting choice (on the contrary, I would have preferred a no-name instead of Affleck), we should wait to see the movie before freaking out. You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover. Don’t judge the Affleck by his Daredevil / Gigli.
There’s also this: after the “Dark Knight” trilogy and “Man of Steel” (which wasn’t quite the hit it was supposed to be, but still), is there any reason to think Warner Bros. would mess up this badly as to pick someone who was not fit for the job?
I don’t think so.