Ben Affleck is the New Batman
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that when I first read this headline, I thought it was a joke. The news is unexpected to say the least, but in a way, it kind of makes sense. Ever since it was announced that Batman would be involved in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, we’ve been hearing all kinds of speculation about who might play The Dark Knight. Everyone from Christian Bale to Ryan Gosling to Teen Wolf star Tyler Hoechlin have been rumoured, but the answer was under our noses all along. Ben Affleck was once thought to be Warner Brothers’ top choice to direct a Justice League movie, but now it seems that their meetings may have been about something entirely different. He will indeed be replacing Christian Bale as the new Batman. Here’s what director Zack Snyder had to say about the announcement:
“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”
It would seem that the rumours of Warner Brothers pursuing an older Batman were actually true, although “older” in this case is the tender age of 41. This also continues the Warner Brothers trend of casting actors who have already played a superhero once before (ie. Ryan Reynolds). However, while many people were excited about Affleck directing a superhero movie, I don’t know that memories of Daredevil will necessarily make people confident in his ability to play another superhero. What do you think, is Ben Affleck a good choice to play Batman or is Warner Brothers dropping the ball yet again?
