This is it people, the casting announcement of the year, cue the jokes about Daredevil and Matt Damon as Robin. Yes, Warner Bros and director Zack Snyder have just officially announced that Affleck will don the cape and cowl and become Batman for the as yet untitled sequel to Man of Steel.
It was only a month ago that the crossover film was announced at Comic-Con. Since then, the Internet has been ablaze with speculation over who should play Bruce Wayne/Batman and whether or not the studio would cast a younger or older actor than the Man of Steel, Henry Cavill. Affleck’s casting, as well as the statement from Snyder confirm that Batman will be an older, more experienced crime-fighter than Superman. The director says, of his choice: “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”.
As it stands the choice has been received with a huge amount of criticism from comic fans and filmgoers alike, many referencing back to the abysmal 2003 comic adaptation Daredevil, in which Affleck played the title character. However bad Daredevil was, it was ten years ago and Affleck has matured into a great director and fine actor, most recently directing himself in Argo as a character wounded by a break up of his family while continuing to strive to help those in need.
Only time will tell if the choice will work but let this serve as a reminder before criticising a role that hasn’t even been scripted yet, every man and their sidekick thought Heath Ledger would be a terrible choice for The Joker.
Batman vs. Superman (???) is set to be released summer 2015.