14 DAY TRIAL // The Internet was stunned when Warner Bros. came out with a press statement saying they had finally found their Batman for Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Man of Steel” sequel in Ben Affleck but, as The Hollywood Reporter reveals, this had been in the making since early 2013.
Of course, few would imagine that Warners would just jump to make the announcement and rush such an important casting, but there were many voices saying that they simply did not consider it properly.
Because, say what you will about his most recent work, but Ben Affleck’s resume also includes “Gigli” and “Daredevil.”
In its analysis, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Snyder himself set his mind on Affleck even though the studio had other options on the table as well.
This was in early 2013, when production on “Man of Steel” wasn’t even over.
“It’s unclear when these talks began. Multiple sources say the studio approached Josh Brolin, as well as other actors. Ryan Gosling was also a possibility, but the actor dislikes the idea of sequels,” THR writes.
“But Affleck was curious, and initial talks focusing on story and character began. Once Affleck was satisfied, WME’s Patrick Whitesell and Ziffren Brittenham’s Sam Fischer began negotiating his role in the Superman sequel,” the report adds.
They didn’t just talk about Affleck coming on board to do this film: he’s signed for Batman for an indeterminate time.
“Sources say that Affleck has been signed for multiple other movies. The talks were so secretive that many Warner execs and most WME agents remained unaware of their existence,” the report says.
These other movies probably include “Justice League” and other standalone releases, which could mean that Affleck is getting his own franchise and literally replacing Christian Bale.
That thought alone is probably enough to send diehard fans over the edge. At least some of them are having a blast with the Ben Affleck Batman memes.