The controversy surrounding the casting choice of Ben Affleck (nowadays known as Batfleck) has been all the rage for the past several weeks. The decision of putting Affleck in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman really has the comic book world (or the entire world, for that matter) in a state of flux. But there are those that believe the casting choice is great, excellent, and spot-on. I, for one, am somewhat on the fence about the whole deal, but am leaning more towards believing it's the right call. But the crucial and important thing to do with Affleck is to make him a convincing Bruce Wayne and an even better Batman. But how so? How can Zack Synder incorporate Ben Affleck to where he makes sense as one of DC's most cherished and well known characters? Recently, the answer to that question has been revealed. Kevin Tsujihara, CEO of Warner Bros, has made the announcement of just what angle Synder is taking with his version of Batman in 2015's
Batman vs. Superman. Tsujihara revealed that Ben Affleck's own take on Bruce Wayne/Batman will be vastly different than Christopher Nolan's take on the Dark Knight in his Batman trilogy. Tsujihara said that this new Batman will be "
tired and weary and seasoned and been doing it for awhile." Tired and weary? Been doing it for awhile? So does this mean Synder is taking cues from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns afterall? Quite possibly. Kevin Tsujihara continued explaining with the following quip:
"We think it's the perfect springboard for Batman and Superman. Ben is perfect for the vision Zack has for that character. The fact that you saw such a passionate response in the blogosphere is really kind of a testament to the love that people have for this character." If Tsujihara is this confident with Ben Affleck's portrayal, then it should leave some of the more negative onlookers feeling a little bit more comfortable with the final decision. I think we knew it all along that Synder's take on the Caped Crusader wasn't going to be like what Year One was, or the Long Halloween. We knew that we would see a more distinguished and aged Batman, with enough accolades and experience to kindly be featured in the future Justice League film later on. While this news doesn't surprise me in this case, it does however present a more comfortable groundwork to stand upon. Seeing the work Ben Affleck has done with his work at directing really sells the concept of him being cast in a role this monumental in size; over the years, Affleck as gained tremendous experience from directing, learning to handle characters that are real and believable, and not wonky or off balance to where we know they're acting. He can also handle a great script, and although he's not directing
Batman vs. Superman, he would definitely lend a hand to David S. Goyer and Zack Synder and help flesh out this new take on the Dark Knight. What do you guys think? Does this news honestly surprise anyone? Is the confidence of Affleck being Batman raising? Or has it gone down some more? Please discuss what's on your minds down below.