Yes, I am sure everyone is tired of hearing about this news.
Practically every movie blog, comic book forum, and retched hive of scum and
villainy, has weighed in on what they think about this news. So to must I
contribute to the cacophony. Greater men than I have already weighed in so I
may be just retreading already brought up topics.
First of all, I am completely okay with Ben Affleck as
Batman. Having been a fan of Mr. Affleck since his earliest film performances,
and just singing his praises in his past few films, there are few other actors
that I would like to see playing the Dark Knight. While I know there are many
who wish that Christian Bale had stayed, I am not one of them. It was time to
recast and Ben Affleck was the right choice.
To be perfectly honest, there was no way they could do this
movie without recasting. As much as I loved the Nolan trilogy of Batman films
(I feel The Dark Knight might be one of the best comic book films ever made),
those films worked so hard to depict a real world version of Batman. A Batman
very much grounded in the physics and limits of the real world. While perfectly
suited to deal with psychotic clowns or militaristic mad men, the world of Man
of Steel depicted a world inhabited by gods. Superman has the power to level a
city (which he does) and shoot lasers from his eyes. Christian Bale’s version
of Batman would do nothing against that. So therefore the character needs to be
reinvented and recast. We need a Batman that is closer to the Batman in the
comics, who can conceivably take out a godlike being like Superman. For that
you need someone who can be an imposing presence on screen next to Henry
Cavill’s Superman. Enter Ben Affleck.
Ben Affleck has been working in Hollywood for a long time. Like
Batman he has gained years of experience, which gives him a natural gravitas.
Batman is a character that before even engaging in a fight with his opponent,
he projects the aura of having already won the fight. I feel like Ben Affleck
could portray that sense of already having one the fight before Batman or
Superman had even thrown a punch.
There is another side to Ben Affleck’s role that is
important to remember. Whenever casting for a super hero movie people need to
remember they are not casting one role, but two. Both the hero AND their alter
ego. While some actors may be able to play one side of the coin, they may not
always be up to playing the other. Since I am sure Ben Affleck could play a
grizzled super hero, I KNOW he could play a rich billionaire playboy. Ben
Affleck’s Bruce Wayne seems like an obvious performance. Bruce Wayne is
charming and arrogant and not above throwing around a little cash. I’ve seen no
less than three Ben Affleck films where he was playing that exact role.
To be honest, most of the people who have criticized Ben
Affleck’s casting as Batman are not really thinking about Ben Affleck. They’re
thinking about Bennifer. They are envisioning who Ben Affleck USED to be as an
actor. They are remembering Reindeer Games, Phantoms, Forces of Nature, and
similar films done when Affleck was more famous for being a pretty boy than a
serious filmmaker. That Ben Affleck is no more. The Ben Affleck that was cast
as Batman is a Ben Affleck who has matured as a filmmaker. He’s proven he can be
more than just a handsome guy or romantic interest and can bring real pathos to
the role of Batman.
 |
| "Bring it on, bitch!" |
Truth be told I could be proven completely wrong. Batman vs.
Superman could come out in theatres and be a complete cinematic atrocity. But
from what I have seen I sincerely doubt that is going to happen. Man of Steel
was an enjoyable film and as long as those involved continue on that path,
there should be nothing to worry about. Also since this film will be the
launching pad for an eventual Justice League film, I have every faith all the
care in the world will be taken to insure this is an amazing film and will
definitely throw down sixteen bucks (IMAX 3D of course) to see it.
Yes, I am sure everyone is tired of hearing about this news.
Practically every movie blog, comic book forum, and retched hive of scum and
villainy, has weighed in on what they think about this news. So to must I
contribute to the cacophony. Greater men than I have already weighed in so I
may be just retreading already brought up topics.
First of all, I am completely okay with Ben Affleck as
Batman. Having been a fan of Mr. Affleck since his earliest film performances,
and just singing his praises in his past few films, there are few other actors
that I would like to see playing the Dark Knight. While I know there are many
who wish that Christian Bale had stayed, I am not one of them. It was time to
recast and Ben Affleck was the right choice.
To be perfectly honest, there was no way they could do this
movie without recasting. As much as I loved the Nolan trilogy of Batman films
(I feel The Dark Knight might be one of the best comic book films ever made),
those films worked so hard to depict a real world version of Batman. A Batman
very much grounded in the physics and limits of the real world. While perfectly
suited to deal with psychotic clowns or militaristic mad men, the world of Man
of Steel depicted a world inhabited by gods. Superman has the power to level a
city (which he does) and shoot lasers from his eyes. Christian Bale’s version
of Batman would do nothing against that. So therefore the character needs to be
reinvented and recast. We need a Batman that is closer to the Batman in the
comics, who can conceivably take out a godlike being like Superman. For that
you need someone who can be an imposing presence on screen next to Henry
Cavill’s Superman. Enter Ben Affleck.
Ben Affleck has been working in Hollywood for a long time. Like
Batman he has gained years of experience, which gives him a natural gravitas.
Batman is a character that before even engaging in a fight with his opponent,
he projects the aura of having already won the fight. I feel like Ben Affleck
could portray that sense of already having one the fight before Batman or
Superman had even thrown a punch.
There is another side to Ben Affleck’s role that is
important to remember. Whenever casting for a super hero movie people need to
remember they are not casting one role, but two. Both the hero AND their alter
ego. While some actors may be able to play one side of the coin, they may not
always be up to playing the other. Since I am sure Ben Affleck could play a
grizzled super hero, I KNOW he could play a rich billionaire playboy. Ben
Affleck’s Bruce Wayne seems like an obvious performance. Bruce Wayne is
charming and arrogant and not above throwing around a little cash. I’ve seen no
less than three Ben Affleck films where he was playing that exact role.
To be honest, most of the people who have criticized Ben
Affleck’s casting as Batman are not really thinking about Ben Affleck. They’re
thinking about Bennifer. They are envisioning who Ben Affleck USED to be as an
actor. They are remembering Reindeer Games, Phantoms, Forces of Nature, and
similar films done when Affleck was more famous for being a pretty boy than a
serious filmmaker. That Ben Affleck is no more. The Ben Affleck that was cast
as Batman is a Ben Affleck who has matured as a filmmaker. He’s proven he can be
more than just a handsome guy or romantic interest and can bring real pathos to
the role of Batman.
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