The first thing I do when I wake is check the news, I wait in anticipation wondering what has happened over night in Syria or which big name has popped his clogs (my bet is Mikhail Gorbachev going
The first thing I do when I wake is check the news, I wait in anticipation wondering what has happened over night in Syria or which big name has popped his clogs (my bet is Mikhail Gorbachev going through the pearly gates next) but never in a million years did I expect to see the news I did this morning.
Ben Affleck cast as Batman.
You’ve got to be kidding, right?
To be honest, I thought it was a joke at first, even for a millisecond questioning the date (it’s not April 1st is it?) I had to double take before I opened the article and even then it didn’t stick. Ben Affleck as Batman just doesn’t seem right and I’ll admit I’m a fan of Affleck’s work—from Armageddon to the much celebrated Argo and I’ll even admit to having a particular liking to the 2001 Blockbuster Pearl Harbour.
He’s a very good actor and director but he always plays the same sort of character, the strong but caring man who you struggle not to like. In nearly every Affleck film, from The Town to He’s Just Not That Into You, you root for his character but Bruce Wayne/Batman will be a totally different challenge for the Boston born actor.
Played a superhero but was unsuccessful
The 41 year-old has played a superhero before as he donned a costume for his portrayal of The Daredevil, the film was panned by critics and bombed at the box office and this fact hasn’t gone unnoticed by critics of his casting as the Dark Knight.
However let’s not forget that The Daredevil had a terrible script and Affleck’s performance was the best that could be hoped for from such a poor story, the forthcoming Batman/Superman should (fingers crossed) not have the same issue.
After the success of Superman: Man of Steel, Zack Snyder has clearly done enough to persuade Warner Brothers to entrust him with the mammoth task (impossible some would suggest) of incorporating Batman and Superman into some sort of a realistic story, something which has proved troublesome before.
Will he fit naturally into the cape?
Nonetheless, if the script and story is as good as the Man of Steel, then Affleck’s acting skills will be a huge asset. He (in my opinion) will be able to pull of the characteristics of an older, haunted yet charming Bruce Wayne. For me the question is over the script and direction of the movie, for if Batman and Superman end up brawling, how can a super human capable of flying and amazing strengthen be defeated by a man dressed as a Bat? It’ll be interesting to see.
Yet while, I’m confident in Affleck’s ability to easily pass a borderline billionaire psychopath, there is a question over his performance as Batman. Will he fit it into the cape as naturally as Christian Bale? I’m not too sure.
I enjoyed Man of Steel but I hated The Dark Knight Rises and personally, I’m sceptical of this whole movie and if anything the casting of Ben Affleck as the Dark Knight has done nothing to propel my worry, but it has certainly heightened my curiosity.
Affleck as Batman doesn’t quite fit but it could be a worse casting and he deserves the opportunity to prove himself as the cape crusader and his success as the Gotham hero depends predominantly on the script for his acting ability is not in doubt.
Give Affleck a chance
Michael Keaton was cast in the late 1980s as Batman and response to that decision was similar to what we’ve seen today over Affleck and yet for me, Keaton is still the number one Batman and Warner Brothers will be hoping for a similar outcome with Affleck.
With the news trending worldwide, they’ll certainly get the bodies into the cinema and they’ll hope the movie can be as critically successful as it’s expected to be financially.
So let’s give Affleck a chance, because he’s the hero Gotham needs but… ah you get my drift.
What do you think of the decision to cast Ben Affleck as Batman? Have your say in the comments section below, on Facebook or on Twitter.
