Kevin Smith: Ben Affleck Is A Better Batman Than Michael Keaton


Kevin Smith has revealed that, following his debut as the superhero in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Ben Affleck is now his favorite incarnation of Gotham’s Caped Crusader, usurping Michael Keaton in the lofty position.

According to Comic Book, the Jersey Girl and Clerks filmmaker made this admission while talking at the Comic Book Men panel during the New York Comic-Con over the weekend. After being quizzed about his true thoughts on the heavily divisive Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Kevin Smith only had kind words to say about Ben Affleck’s performance, insisting that he is right up there as the best Batman of all time.

“Ben Affleck rules as the Batman,” Kevin Smith emphatically declared at the gathering. “The brilliance of Zach Snyder said, let’s make him look and move like the video game Batman. I mean it used to be Michael Keaton, and f***, Mr. Mom doesn’t hit too hard, but Ben comes in and blows up 12 people just coming in the door.”

The scene that Kevin Smith specifically mentions from Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice in the above passage took place after the now infamous Martha scene, which saw Batman and Superman put aside their differences all because both of their mothers were named Martha. In order to save Martha Kent (Diane Lane), who had been captured by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), Batman is forced to do battle with at least a dozen guards, all of whom he destroys in basically one fail swoop.

Kevin Smith isn’t the first person to praise Ben Affleck’s titular performance in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Even though the blockbuster was hugely criticized by fans, Anthony Mackie, who has portrayed Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, was just one individual who insisted, “when you see the movie he is the best thing about the movie, he shines as Batman.”

This isn’t the first time that Kevin Smith has praised Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman. Back in January, while speaking to Variety, via CBR, at Sundance, Smith insisted that Affleck’s Batman looks just like the version from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, which means that “he’s the best looking Batman we’ve ever seen.”

Smith then added, “The hardest thing to nail about Batman is Bruce Wayne, because that’s where you’ve got no mask and where you’ve got to be a human being. But that dude is Bruce Wayne, so he’s born to play that role.”

Back at the New York Comic-Con, Kevin Smith also spoke about how he hopes that Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe will pursue its own unique tone, and not just replicate that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the tepid response to both Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Suicide Squad, there have been rumors that the powers that be over at Warner Bros have now insisted that the DC Extended Universe becomes lighter. This was suggested with the release of the first Justice League trailer earlier this year, which while still including darker visuals this time included significantly more humor.

“They are never going to be Marvel movies… and as a long time fan of this s*** I don’t care, you are either a DC guy or a Marvel guy and really DC isn’t ever going to what Marvel does… but really, when I was a kid and wish they had all this s***… so for years we have wanted this and now we got it. So, maybe be careful what you f****** wish for, I guess,” Kevin Smith declared.

[Image via Warner Bros.]

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