Last week, Warner Bros. announced Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne opposite Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent in the coming Batman vs. Superman movie.
That’s when the Internet exploded.
If Warner Bros. wanted publicity, it chose well.
It wasn’t long before the public and celebrities alike took to Twitter to slam Affleck’s talent and suggest alternates to play Batman, including Jar Jar Binks, Paula Deen, Jerry Sandusky and more.
Affleck hardly seems like the go-to actor for a dark, troubled crime fighter loaded with money and angst.
Christian Bale was certainly a more natural choice after his role in “The Machinist,” but maybe the Internet should give Benny Boy a break.
Batman fans are citing movies like 2003’s “Gigli” and “Daredevil” in their case against the casting decision.
Concerned movie-goers can take heart knowing Ben Affleck is not proud of this highly criticized pair of films.
His resume has improved a good deal since 2003.
He is no longer living the worst year of his life in front of a rolling camera.
After coming under fire for his portrayal of Daredevil and being a DC Comics fan himself, it’s doubtful he assumed another superhero role lightly.
Ben’s directorial debut came in 1993 with a little film titled “I Killed my Lesbian Wife, Hung her on a Meat Hook, and now I Have a Three Picture Deal at Disney.”
Years later, he turned out “The Town” and “Argo.”
If that pattern repeats itself from “Daredevil” to the “Man of Steel” sequel, this will be a performance worth waiting for.
Another concern of DC Comics fans is that Affleck’s very presence will cause the “Man of Steel” sequel to flop.
They don’t want the caped crusader plunked into a shallow, cinematic grave next to Daredevil and John Gigli.
The box-office earnings of “The Town” and “Argo,” both of which he directed and starred in, added up to more than $228 million.
It seems his involvement is less a virulent case of the flops and more a wise move by Warner Bros. to keep up the golden streak.
It’s natural that fans of large franchises will yell the loudest following castings for characters as iconic as The Bat.
Let’s look at two past examples:
Heath Ledger withstood his fair share of criticism when he was cast as The Joker.
His performance is now heralded as the best portrayal of the villain to date.
Anne Hathaway, typecast as Mia Thermopolis, seemed an unlikely choice for Catwoman until she was straddling a motorcycle and socking it to henchmen left and right.
Then, her acting range was applauded, and everyone ate their words.
So, to summarize, no matter how Batffleck performs in the upcoming “Man of Steel” sequel, he can’t hurt the legacy of Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale.
Affleck’s take on the character will be absolutely his own.
It will be a new chapter rather than a continuation.
As Joss Whedon said in his pithy tweet, Ben will “crush it” and, if nothing else, “he’s got the chin.”
For those in the minority who have no strong opinion about the casting, only one thing is abundantly clear: Ben Affleck’s jaw line is sharp, and he can use it to divide the nation in one fell swoop.
Katie McPherson is a UF English junior. Her column appears on Tuesdays. A version of this column ran on page 6 on 8/27/2013 under the headline "Ben Affleck can probably pull off Batman"
