3. The Ledger Argument
Flashback to July, 2006: Heath Ledger was announced to play The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and the Internet raged in response. The reaction was overwhelmingly negative with fans declaring any and all excitement they had for his sequel died with the announcement. Most could not believe a pretty boy actor who was a teen heartthrob in 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale would play The Clown Prince of Crime, neglecting to even consider his dramatic performances in Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain. Flash forward to December, 2007: After months of one of the most groundbreaking viral campaigns ever for a film, the second teaser trailer for The Dark Knight is released and fans get their official first look at Ledger's Joker, instantly making famous the question "why so serious?" Forward even more to July, 2008: Dark Knight is an instant hit which breaks several box office records, but Heath Ledger does not see the finished film or laugh as his detractors eat crow due to his unfortunate passing months earlier. February, 2009: Ledger posthumously wins the award for Best Supporting Actor for Joker, marking the first time an actor has won an Academy Award for a role based on a comic book. I recall a certain saying about books and their covers. Many people thought Ledger was not going to be great and I'll admit, though I did not spew hatred like everyone else, I was skeptical of the casting and thought it was an odd choice. Upon release though he not just blew everyone's assumptions out of the water, he blew them to the other side of the galaxy by giving fans, comic book and mainstream, an everlasting and iconic performance. All this is to say we have absolutely no idea how Ben Affleck will approach the role. It is absolutely ridiculous to make a judgement when not even one frame has been filmed. While he's not my first choice to play the new Batman, he's far from the worst and he's earned the benefit of the doubt with his excellent track record.