So I have to keep saying to myself: Dogma. Ben was great in Dogma. As I understand it, he was also great in Argo. Then I remember Daredevil, which was not a bad movie; it just wasn't a good movie. Was that Ben's fault? Hell if I know. All I do know is that Ben wasn't the greatest Matt Murdock.
The real Daredevil
In a statement, one of the executives at Warner Bros. said this:
“Ben provides an interesting counterbalance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can’t wait to work with him.”
And this:
“We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular superheroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some."
I don't know what he means by 'layered portrayal', but it sounds as though he is trying to say those of you who think the movie representation of Bruce should be the same as he is in the comic books had better not get your hopes up. At Comic-Con, they quoted a line from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns". That version of Bruce Wayne is the quintessential Batman, for crying out loud! He doesn't need any additional layers.
As for the 'older and wiser' nonsense. Bats and Supes are about the same age. Do these movie-makers even read the comic books? Apparently not. And of course Batman is wiser--he's the goddamn Batman! But he isn't Superman's mentor, nor does he ever try to be.
Then comes the part where he says, "we needed an extraordinary actor..." I suppose Warner Bros. definition of 'extraordinary' is quite different from mine. Ben is good, but I'd hardly call him extraordinary. That's like calling Halle Berry and extraordinary actress. Let's not get carried away to the point of ridiculousness.
Ben Affleck is a good actor, as his many successes can attest. I just happen to be a hardcore Batman fan. Not the movie character(s), but the comic book version. I can see Ben as a pre-Frank Miller Batman. But as the more commonly known, post-Dark-Knight-Returns Batman...?
In the comic books, Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are (deliberately) similar looking. They have the same build and most of the same features. Superman is taller--which is not the case with Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck--but, essentially, the two could be brothers. Ben Affleck is the right height for Bruce, and, since he can pass for a man in his low to mid thirties, I'd say he is the right age as well. Since he's Ben Affleck, there is probably little chance that he'll keep the cape and cowl on through most of the movie, so, unfortunately, there will be no hiding those soft features of his.
In a perfect world, where I am queen of everything and have control over the casting of this film, I probably would have cast this guy:
Same guy:
Or even, this guy (Matt Bomer):
Another one of Matt Bomer:
I can only hope that Ben will bulk up (and harden up). He can't play Bruce Wayne to Henry Cavill's Clark Kent without matching the latter's physique.
So, here's hoping...
