“Holy announcement!”
After weeks of speculation as to who would be the Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie that had such actors as Orlando Bloom and Gerard Butler slated for the role comes the announcement from Warner Bros. Ben “Daredevil” Affleck, will now don the cowl of the dark knight.
Warner Bros. seems to have joined the practice of interchanging actors and superheroes as as was the case with Ryan Reynolds ( Green Lantern, Deadpool), and Chris Evans ( Johnny Storm, Captain America). This will also be Affleck’s second portrayal of a superhero as he was the lead in the 2003 film, Daredevil. Further to Warner Bros. announcement, they do point out (to counter the skeptics, I am assuming), that Snyder has been successful in his previous incarnations;
“Snyder successfully re-imagined the origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing. The director will now create an original vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons together.”
Snyder commented on his choice of Affleck for the role, “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.”
According to Warner Bros., director Zack Snyder will “create an entirely new incarnation of the character” for the upcoming movie. Remember the days when film makers would “create and entirely new incarnation” of an iconic character by going outside the box and casting talented unknown actors, or in the very least a known talented actor that has yet to play such a role?
“We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.” said Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, “His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”
Affleck is just coming off his recent Oscar win for “Best Picture” in the movie “Argo”, that also came from Warner Bros. This raises the question if the decision from Snyder and Warner Bros. was inspired to keep riding the wave of “Starring Best Picture Oscar Winner…” tag lines to add prestige to the film. I am, however, reminded of the controversial decision that Tim Burton made by casting Michael Keaton as the lead in the re-birth of the character in the 1989 film. Perhaps I will reserve judgement until I see the results.
What are your thoughts on the casting of Ben Affleck? Do you agree with the decision? If not, who would you want to see in the role? Post your answers in the comments section below!
Warner Bros. has slated the film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015 and will reunite the Man of Steel stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.
Steve “Rifflo” Fitch – Legendarium News Director
Steve, also known as “Rifflo”, is a University MBA Administrator in Ontario Canada where he lives with his wife, Lisa and two young daughters, Alexa and Ava. Steve has an extensive background in corporate sales. Steve also worked for ISAF: International Security Assistance Force and the Canadian Military as a recruiter in Human Resources for the operations in Bosnia and Afghanistan. When not immersed in Tolkien works,sci-fi, and film, you can find him training in Muay Thai, Italian rapier, German longsword, and Mixed Martial Arts. Follow Steve on Twitter @HobbitSteve
I’d rather see Nicholas Cage as Batman
I think this casting is absolutely the right call for the “Man of Steel” universe. Especially with Henry Cavill as Superman to play against, you need someone that can pull off the charismatic billionaire Bruce Wayne, as well as the caped crusader.
How well it works, however, remains to be seen. Hoping that when it comes out in 2015, I’ll be proven right, and it’ll work well.