Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) (1 Viewer)

[Brian Dobbs]

A conversation I just had a few minutes ago...

ME - "Did you hear about Ben Affleck?"

Coworker - "Did he die or something?"

ME - "Worse. He's been cast as Batman."

 

[joshEH]

Why not give someone else a SHOT?

He's already set for life. He doesn't need the money. He doesn't need this role like someone else needs this role.

GREEDY.

There's suddenly this nerd-perception out there that somehow all these other, "better" (and/or "starving") actors were skipped over in favor of Affleck, that he single-handedly beat them out in some open cattle-call; that they were all just clamoring to be Batman, and WB crushed their dreams by making a different choice.

When we don't know if these guys were ever approached or even interested.

People are basically getting upset that their nerd fan-casting didn't come true. Same thing happens every time a new Doctor is cast. Nobody wants the little dream-movie in their head upset.

Let's turn back the clocks 13 years to when this movie was originally announced, and was to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen. The two actors up for the leads were Jude Law and Josh Hartnett.

I think everyone on the Internet should just calm the hell down.

 

[joshEH]

Every retort to Affleck-criticism should just be: "Heath Ledger."

"Affleck as Batman sucks!"
"Heath Ledger."

"Affleck can't handle it; he doesn't have the intensity!"
"Heath Ledger."

"Affleck killed my dog...he...he just pulled out a shotgun and shot my puppy down in the street, oh my God...my poor baby..."
".....Heath Ledger...??"

 

[Brian Dobbs]

Every retort to Affleck-criticism should just be: "Heath Ledger."

"Affleck as Batman sucks!"
"Heath Ledger."

"Affleck can't handle it; he doesn't have the intensity!"
"Heath Ledger."

"Affleck killed my dog...he..he just pulled out a shotgun and shot my puppy down in the street, oh my God...my poor baby..."
"...Heath Ledger...??"

I think that's missing the point. I don't want to start an online battle with you, I just want to make sure we're comparing apples to apples.

Heath Ledger was virtually nobody and needed to prove himself WORTHY of the role.

This is not the same thing. This is Ben Affleck inserting his A-list status into an equation that would benefit from having someone with less celebrity baggage. He could have declined by saying, "You know, I'm not the best person for this role." But his ego wouldn't let him.

WB / Snyder could have picked virtually anyone else. I had no one on my radar. This isn't inspired casting. This is casting in fear of failure. Which is SHORT SIGHTED.

 

[TravisR]

...I'll reserve judgement until I actually have something to judge.

That is utterly ridiculous. You're not seriously suggesting that you can't judge how a movie is going to turn out simply based on the casting of one actor whose performance no one has seen yet? Sure, they haven't shot a frame of footage and they don't have a script yet but I'll already say that this movie is going to be a tragedy on par with or worse than human trafficking.

For anyone that thinks that I went a little overboard with the parody or sarcasm, look at some of the posts just in this thread.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

http://www.change.org/petitions/warner-brothers-remove-ben-affleck-as-batman-bruce-wayne-in-the-superman-batman-movie

---------------

[*]Petitioning Warner Bros. Studio
[/list]
This petition will be delivered to:
Warner Bros. Studio
DC Entertainment
Courtney Simmons
Corporate Communications
Paul McGuire
Feature Films
Jack Horner


Warner Brothers: Remove Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the Superman/Batman movie.

 

[FoxyMulder]

The same rubbish happened when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman and Keaton was very good in the role, i think Affleck will be the least of this film's issues, they need a good script, they get that then Affleck will be excellent in the role, it's the script people need to worry about and not the casting.

I can't believe people actually think you need great acting for a Batman film or that Affleck can't pull it off, he has the looks and the age for the part and can act well enough to pull it off, i actually thought the unrated cut of Daredevil was very good,l the neutered PG-13 version made no sense and watered down vital parts of that film.

I also cannot believe people would start a petition on this, it's a crazy world we live in.

 

[joshEH]

This is basically the Internet's reaction to Ben Affleck being the new Batman:

This is literally apples and oranges. Keaton was an actor who had little to no dramatic work at that point. Affleck is a middling dramatic actor who nearly killed his career playing one superhero already. Combined with how Snyder mangled MoS as badly as he did leaves me with no hope whatsoever that this will work.

The Daredevil DC (as opposed to the theatrical) is actually a fine film. Suit looked cool, the fight scene in the bar is still one of the coolest superhero fights there is, and Colin as Bullseye is AMAZING.

And could a joyless movie not have a non-tortured non-freakshow Batman? If anything, I think a light-hearted film would work against Affleck -- the worst parts of Daredevil involved the "light" scenes. Like the see-saw fight scene with Elektra. I think Affleck works great when you keep ramping up the intensity. Which Snyder knows how to do (I'm not saying he does it effectively; just that his films always build UP, rather than crumble down).

After this, Affleck will have played Daredevil, Supes, AND Batman. He's just trying to one-up Chris Evans.

MALLRATMAN

 

[FoxyMulder]

After this, Affleck will have played Daredevil, Supes, AND Batman. He's just trying to one-up Chris Evans.

You just know some people are going to ask when did Affleck play Superman, the answer is he played George Reeves aka the original fifties Superman in Hollywoodland.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Ben has already started his two hour a day training routine http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/ben-affleck-working-out-two-hours-a-day-for-batman-role-in-man-of-steel-sequel-2013238

 

[joshEH]

I think that's missing the point. I don't want to start an online battle with you, I just want to make sure we're comparing apples to apples.

Heath Ledger was virtually nobody and needed to prove himself WORTHY of the role.

This is not the same thing. This is Ben Affleck inserting his A-list status into an equation that would benefit from having someone with less celebrity baggage. He could have declined by saying, "You know, I'm not the best person for this role." But his ego wouldn't let him.

WB / Snyder could have picked virtually anyone else. I had no one on my radar. This isn't inspired casting. This is casting in fear of failure. Which is SHORT SIGHTED.

You're cool -- it's all good either way; it's what makes these announcements so interesting (but petitions rarely seem to have much of an impact these days, especially with studio execs).

But to claim that Heath Ledger and Affleck aren't comparable examples is as revisionist as it comes. He was not universally recognized by the common public as a great actor, as the vast majority of people hadn't even seen Brokeback Mountain, yet virtually everything surrounding the announcement were Brokeback / gay-cowboy jokes.

Trust me. The Heath Ledger-casting was WAY worse than this. It was the apocalypse.

When Heath Ledger was announced as The Joker, people were wailing like widows and throwing around death threats. It's exactly the same kind of behavior, regardless of the filmography of the actor involved -- the point is, people don't seem to understand the alchemy and miracles of filmmaking.

Ledger was amazing, but he was amazing in the role of one of the broadest, most colorful characters ever conceived. Bruce Wayne is simply not that "big" -- Affleck will do fine.

Also, how can anyone honestly claim to somehow know whether or not his "ego" played a role in his decision to take the role? To the extent that ANY actor's ego would get stroked to learn that they've been chosen as the next big-screen Batman, I mean?

 

[TravisR]

This is probably only funny to me and JoshEH

 

[Brian Dobbs]

Also, how can anyone honestly claim to somehow know whether or not his "ego" played a role in his decision to take the role? To the extent that ANY actor's ego would get stroked to learn that they've been chosen as the next big-screen Batman, I mean?

Like Foxymulder pointed out. He's already been Daredevil. He's already been "Superman." Now he gets to be Batman as well?

This is the same issue with Ryan Reynolds being cast as Green Lantern. We don't see Hal Jordan.

What if Tom Cruise was cast as Tony Stark?

What if Nicholas Cage was cast as Superman?

Yes, it's that bad. Affleck has not been able to transcend himself. Ledger went from pretty boy Knight's Tale to Brokeback to Joker. He blended in. Unfortunately he won't be able to do that anymore.

Affleck has NEVER blended.

 

[FoxyMulder]

What if Nicholas Cage was cast as Superman?

I think Nicolas Cage looked super cool in Kick Ass where he actually wore a Batman type costume, can you imagine the Cage from Wild At Heart playing Batman, yeah i'd be for that.

I think Affleck is building up a fine resume as a director, perhaps this will backfire on him but let's give him a chance.

 

[joshEH]

The Internet is the fat kid, and the Batman news is the Xbox:



I see Affleck as more of a Grant Morrison Batman than a Frank Miller one, which is kind of tired by now. When I saw that he had been cast in the role, the first thing that came to mind was the scene in Dogma when he snaps in the parking garage. I can see him using that anger to scare the shit out of people.

I'll say this for them -- you can't buy this kind of publicity. I was walking through my office (I'm known as a Batman fan), and I had everyone asking what I thought. Middle-aged women asking if I was outraged. Partners talking about it.

Quality aside, this is going to, at least, have a huge opening.

This is probably only funny to me and JoshEH

Batman.png

LOL. Here's hoping this news makes it into the new season -- I imagine Mike Schur and his writers will have a field day with it.

Also, this:

(Murray was nearly cast as Batman, prior to Michael Keaton taking the role.)

 

[TravisR]

I think Nicolas Cage looked super cool in Kick Ass where he actually wore a Batman type costume, can you imagine the Cage from Wild At Heart playing Batman, yeah i'd be for that.

I know Nicolas Cage gets a lot of shit (some of it deserved) but that guy takes chances on characters and performances that very few actors would take. Obviously, he can go over the top and he's made some poor script choices but I'm glad that there's a guy that gives eccentric performances like he does.

When I saw that he had been cast in the role, the first thing that came to mind was the scene in Dogma when he snaps in the parking garage. I can see him using that anger to scare the shit out of people.

I thought of the same movie but the part when he kills the cop on the church steps.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Josh,That video was fan-freaking-tastic! Just perfect.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

The Internet is the fat kid, and the Batman news is the Xbox:

LOL!!

 

[joshEH]

The casting couch for this movie:


Seriously though, he'll do fine. A 41-year-old Batman means no origin. I hope to God Snyder's literalism in adapting means a Batcave with a giant Joker playing-card, giant Penny, robot dinosaur, and glass case with a Robin-costume inside sitting around. Cavill-Supes sees the case and asks, "Who...??", to which Batman replies, "He was a good soldier, but the war goes on."

(Also, hasn't Bryan Cranston basically been cast as Lex Luthor in this flick ever since, like, the second season of Breaking Bad or thereabouts?)

 

[Michael Elliott]

It was a slow work day so I got to go around and visit various message boards about this news. It seems this movie's opening weekend numbers will be between $8-$12 million. According to the countless "I refuse to watch it" posts but we all know these people will be there at midnight.

I must admit that this entire news is downright hilarious to me because of the violent outrage that it has caused.

Still, as an actor it is now Affleck's job to get into the character. We can't judge what he's going to do here based on past performances he's given and especially when we don't know what type of character they are going to make him. I doubt they're writing a screenplay for Bale and just replacing him with Affleck. A good director should be able to take Affleck's talents and do something with them.