Ben Affleck is the new Batman

[Frank Cannon]

He'll be playing Bats in the upcoming Batman/Superman movie.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/22/ben-affleck-batman/

Not sure how I feel about this.

[Earth_First]

1. "Not sure how I feel about this..."

[CBGLuthier]

2. Fortunately I got bored with simple super heroes a few years ago

Never even seen the last Batman.

[Earth_First]

3. +1

I agree.

Most Hollywood production doesn't do 'it' for me anyways.

Give me a riveting Nature or Nova documentary, most PBS programming really...and you'll capture my full attention...

[RudynJack]

4. I honestly think he'll do fine in the role.

I just worry about Matt Damon as Robin.

[LongTomH]

23. Matt Damon as Robin????

Please, Dear Lord, no, no, no!!!!!

But wait, maybe we don't have to worry!

[dr.strangelove]

5. What a terrible mistake

not going to see that flick.

[davidpdx]

6. After the last Batman series

It will be very hard to top anyone else playing that part. Micheal Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney all sucked in the role.

[Bucky]

7. Seems a little old for the part, unless he's playing mid-career Batman.

[Xyzse]

8. Seriously?

Last edited Fri Aug 23, 2013, 03:51 PM - Edit history (4)

I don't know... I would have preferred Tyler Hoechlin who would not have been that good either.
But I thought he'd be able to keep up as a Batman.

Now looking online a bit more, it seems that it is confirmed.

Well, carp.

I still want Scott Adkins to play Batman. I guess Ben could be ok.

Who am I kidding, I am going to watch this any way.

[Orrex]

9. When I heard that Keaton would play the 1989 Batman, I knew it would suck

And I was right--the 1989 Burton film does suck. It's horrible.

But not because of Keaton. To my surprise, he was actually pretty good.


I have nothing against Ben Affleck. He's shown himself to be a competent director, and I believe he'll do fine in the role.

[Frank Cannon]

19. Keaton did a great job as Batman.

He did an even better job when you figure how much the deck was stacked against him at the time. I mean, this was they guy that played Beetlejuice, for crying out loud. But if he didn't match the comic book character physically (in the way that Christian Bale does), he portrayed the voice and the attitude perfect, for both the costumed and uncostumed Bruce Wayne.

[Orrex]

20. Imagine how good it could have been with a great director!

I saw Burton's Batman three times in the theater, but at this point I find it close to unwatchable. As you note, Keaton did fine, but the film simply hasn't aged well.

[LongTomH]

22. Actually, Keaton's Batman had some good points.....

Last edited Mon Aug 26, 2013, 04:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Burton's Gotham City was a tribute to early 20th Century German expressionism and Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927).

There were interesting reflections on freedom, insanity and what it means to be an outsider. Quoting Tim Burton:

"The Joker is such a great character because there's a complete freedom to him. Any character who operates on the outside of society and is deemed a freak and an outcast then has the freedom to do what they want... They are the darker sides of freedom. Insanity is in some scary way the most freedom you can have, because you're not bound by the laws of society"

Another film homage was the Batmobile ride, with Vicki Vale, through the stylized, skeletal forest, with a creepy musical background; that's very reminiscent of a scene in the 1960 French thriller: Eyes Without a Face.

[Erose999]

10. Pictured: the new Bat-Suit

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. Needs nipples.

[Broken_Hero]

12. My first reaction, and only reaction so far

is that this is a huge mistake. When Affleck was rumored to play Supes in 05/06 for Superman Returns, if he got the role I wouldn't go see the movie, and I"m a pretty die hard Superman fan. I can't take Affleck seriously, you do remember DareDevil right? I think this is a huge mistake....

[DinahMoeHum]

13. Sheesh. Doesn't Hollywood have better things to make. . .

. . .than these remakes upon remakes on superheroes? With more techno-crap?

Frankly, even a bad movie like Kick-Ass or Kick-Ass 2 is preferable these days. (And they're not really suitable for kids, either). At least they spoof the superhero genre, even though much of the violence and bad language are gratuitous.

[Frank Cannon]

18. Hey, now, Kick-Ass was pretty good.

I would actually have to count it among the top superhero flicks of the last 10 years. It was very sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek, and it treated the whole idea of actual, real-life superheroes with the respect it deserves.

I haven't seen the sequel, but I hear it doesn't fare as well.

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Like I've said, even a spoof on the genre like Kick-Ass. . .

. . .is preferable to the pretentious garbage and CG-techno-violence in most superhero movies that pose as societal commentary.

And I gotta confess: I saw Kick-Ass 2 at a midnight showing a few days ago. And I laughed until it hurt.

Memorable quote:
"Hit-Girl": Robin wishes he was me

[Orsino]

14. How many Batmen will erase one Daredevil?

Clooney might know.

[olddots]

15. I want Gilbert Gottfried to be Bat Man .

if they are going to keep making these lame comic book movies could they at least get creative with casting ?

[Recursion]

16. Keaton was my favorite Batman

I think he'll be along those lines.

[NewJeffCT]

17. I think Affleck could be fine in the role

It's a Superman movie, so Batman could only have a handful of scenes... though, obviously they would be important scenes. If Affleck is limited in his screen time and given some decent lines, he'll be fine, I think. He wasn't bad in his recent movies like Argo, and maybe he'll be more confident on screen given his success as a director?

Plus, he has the square jawed look that Batman is supposed to have.