To borrow a term from comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis, Thursday night’s announcement that Ben Affleck would play Batman in Zack Snyder‘s as-yet-untitled sequel to Man of Steel cracked the Internet in half. The immediate feedback seemed largely negative, with petitions calling for Warner Bros. to reconsider (including one asking U.S. President Obama to make it illegal for Affleck to play superheroes… seriously). Not since Nicholas Cage was announced as Superman in Tim Burton‘s abandoned Superman Lives film has a superhero casting seen so much backlash (and imagine if social media was around then!)
However, Affleck is no stranger to being a punching bag. His acting career more-or-less bottomed out after irritating critics and audiences with bad early 2000s films like Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, Gigli, Jersey Girl, and Surviving Christmas. However, he turned to directing with 2007’s Gone Baby Gone, which completely revitalized his career in show business (and eventually took him to his second Oscar, for directing 2012’s Argo).
Well, we at Movie Buzzers are fans too. So what did we think of the Ben Affleck casting? Take it away, gang:
TOM: Waking up this morning to the news was a bit of a shock, to say the least. Firstly the backlash towards Ben Affleck personally is completely unfair. At the Oscars earlier this year he was Hollywood’s darling, now he appears to be public enemy number 1! And the petition is far-fetched and disrespectful. That being said, I do have to agree with the reservations. I just can’t see him in the role. It’s not a size thing (Michael Keaton was small) and it’s not even a Daredevil thing, I just can’t see Affleck kicking ‘some ass’ as the Caped Crusader. For Affleck, it’s a strange move. He was doing a superb job at being taken seriously after being a bit of a laughing stock for a few years, but this just feels like it may undo all of his hard work. I like Ben Affleck, heck I may even stretch as far to say I love him, in both acting (mostly) and directing, but surely there was a better option? Then again the people in charge are the same who hired Henry Cavill as Superman – something which I cannot get over, so poor casting is their forte.
ALEX: Seriously? Where did this come from and why did it happen? I like Ben Affleck and he seems like a nice guy, but I’ve never been much of a fan of his acting. When names were being thrown around for who the next Batman would be his never taken seriously and for good reason, the fan outcry would be pretty strong against the decision to cast him. Sure he’s got the face to fit the part of Bruce Wayne but that’s about it. Does anyone remember that shit-storm of a movie called Daredevil? There’s a reason he hasn’t been a superhero since. There is a small part of me that’s curious to see his take on the Dark Knight, but only if he were directing the film as well. Recently he hasn’t been a successful actor when he hasn’t been behind the camera as well. Sure the guy won two Oscars and that will help make the film more bankable, but neither were for acting.
KRIS: So Zack Snyder decided on Ben Affleck for the role of Batman for the Man of Steel sequel. I applaud Ben Affleck for some off his work, but can someone please tell me what Bruce Wayne’s superhero power is now? Does he shoot down rays of ‘Bennifer’ to destroy filmmaking? By the way, Michael Keaton will ALWAYS be Batman.
CHRIS: Ultimately there’s nothing to do but wait for the finished product and hope he surprises us — anyone else remember the confusion/fanboy rage when Heath Ledger was cast as The Joker and people said, “Huh? The guy from 10 Things I Hate About You?” However, I find it hard to believe that Affleck was among Warner’s top choices to play the Caped Crusader. There were a lot of other names in the mix — and even rumors that Christian Bale was offered a huge amount of money to come back — and I don’t recall Affleck’s name ever thrown out there. The only thing I got in my gut here is that we’ve been surprised by other out-of-the-box franchise castings in the past like Daniel Craig as Bond, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and especially (and appropriately) Michael Keaton as Batman, so there’s always a chance we’ll be surprised again. Then again, there’s also a pretty big chance that Affleck ends up taking the “Worst Batman” crown from George Clooney…
ZOE: After the disaster that was Daredevil, can we really afford to let Affleck tackle one of the best superhero roles of the decade? Christian Bale has left mammoth shoes to fill and, acting wise, Ben Affleck is definitely not up to the job. I think we would all breathe a sigh of relief if Affleck stayed where he’s best: behind the camera, not in front of it.
KEVIN: Had they announced Ben Affleck as the director taking over for Zack Snyder, I’d be far more excited. However, Affleck is only a mediocre actor at best. Coincidentally, his best role might have been George Reeves a.k.a 1950s Superman in Hollywoodland. And while Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger shamed the skeptics five years ago, Zack Snyder lacks the ability to elevate his actors, the script, and ultimately the film. This summer’s dreadfully disappointing Man of Steel doesn’t alleviate any concerns either.
So… I guess you could say the Movie Buzzers Team aren’t feeling Affleck as Gotham’s latest Dark Knight. We’ll see how we will feel on July 17, 2015 when the sequel hits theaters. Until then, why not share your thoughts on “Batfleck” (I am already sick of that) in the comments?
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