14 DAY TRIAL // Many Batman fans are still convinced Ben Affleck is probably the worst choice ever for the Caped Crusader, even though they’re yet to see even a few seconds’ worth of footage from Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” They have nothing to worry about, apparently.
Ben Affleck will be more than just a convincing Batman, he will be perfect for the role, actor Henry Lennix, who appeared as General Swarnick in “Man of Steel” and is about to reprise his role in “Dawn of Justice,” says in a new interview with Vintage Sound 93.1FM.
For the time being, all you can do is take Lennix’s word on it.
Ben Affleck is a good actor, but most importantly, he’s American
One of the most burning questions about the new iteration of Batman is how it will hold up against Christopher Nolan’s gloomy and epic “Dark Knight” franchise, in which Oscar-winner Christian Bale starred as Batman.
So far, Ben Affleck has done his best not to draw comparisons between himself and Bale, because he knows he must first prove himself before he even gets started on that conversation. And he can’t do that (prove himself) until the movie is out, which is in May 2016.
Lennix doesn’t care about all that, and in his passionate comment on Affleck and why he’ll be the best Batman ever, he goes and uses the old and completely out of place British vs. American argument.
American is best where Batman is concerned
“There’s no question in my mind that he’s going to be terrific as Batman,” Lennix says. “I think he’s going to be perfect. Ben’s a very, very intelligent guy, he’s also got talent, he’s a brooding type of actor, and Batman has that temperament.”
Speaking of temperament, we get to the good part.
“I’m especially excited that we’ve got an American actor here, that’s increasingly rare. The last guy, who did a great job, Christian Bale — is British. I think that when you’ve got somebody that doesn’t have to act like an American and embodies that ethos, if you will, then that gives him a head start. And knowing how intelligent and how artful that he is as a filmmaker and actor, I think he’s going to do a terrific job,” Lennix explains.
As if Bale’s “Britishness” made it hard for him to portray the “Americannness” of Batman, which, by extension, means Affleck will be better in the role than Bale could ever hope to be.
Superheroes are meant to be universal heroes in order to be successful
Comic book-based movies have strayed from comic books in what regards their American-ness, if that’s what you call it. Even Captain America and Wonder Woman are getting the kind of treatment on-camera that makes them superheroes who appeal to the international public, not just the US one.
That means that they’re no longer perceived or represented as purely American, by standing up for values that are universally valid, not just for those of one country in particular. It’s true, most of the action still takes place in the US, but the themes presented would still have the same impact if it happened in Europe or anywhere else on earth.
The Bale – Affleck comparison isn’t one that anyone on “Dawn of Justice” should invite
That’s like comparing apples to oranges and saying that either is better than the other, because it’s a matter of taste, at the end of the day. But there’s more to the comparison that makes it so undesirable right for everyone involved in this upcoming superhero pic.
The “Dark Knight” trilogy is considered the best iteration of Batman so far, and that’s a major achievement to live up to. On the other hand, the debut of the Justice League franchise, last year’s “Man of Steel,” didn’t really convince fans that this new Superman is worth their time, while the new Batman hasn’t even been seen yet, save for a couple of promo photos.
Before comparing Affleck’s Batman to Bale’s and saying that it’s better, for whatever reason, there has to be an Affleck Batman in the first place. Lennix somehow missed that. When you have so many fans wanting Affleck to fail just so he can prove them right when they said he was miscast for the role, inviting this comparison is the last thing Lennix should do.