Ben Affleck Began ‘Man Of Steel 2’ Discussions Months Ago

Although hardcore fanboys and fangirls are still reeling from news that Ben Affleck will play Batman in Man of Steel 2, apparently the actor was approached about the role months ago.

Details about how the Argo director landed the coveted part are few and far between at the moment. However, sources recently told The Hollywood Reporter that Affleck and Snyder were talking about Batman months before the Superman flick hit theaters.

When news about the Dark Knight’s involvement with the Man of Steel sequel surfaced, fans began speculating about who would tackle the role. Reports eventually surfaced that everyone from Ryan Gosling to Josh Brolin were being courted for the Caped Crusader.

During those weeks of endless rumors and speculation, nobody thought about Ben Affleck. In fact, none of the so-called insider reports that popped up mentioned the award-winning director’s name. Not surprisingly, the actor’s casting in the film caught the entire planet by storm.

Now that the initial wave of anger and irritation has started to slow down, a few details about Affleck’s role in the flick have surfaced. Anonymous sources claim that Zack Snyder began pitching the Superman vs. Batman storyline shortly after completing work on Man of Steel.

While a number of actors were reportedly approached about the project, Ben Affleck is the one who seemed most interested in the role. After he started tossing around story ideas with Snyder, the two realized they were onto something special. Negotiations began shortly thereafter.

The Chasing Amy star’s involvement with the Man of Steel sequel is a little surprising. Not only did the actor claim that his experience with Daredevil left him feeling humiliated, he also stated that he didn’t want to do another movie with explosions.

“God help me if I ever do another movie with an explosion in it. If you see me in a movie where stuff is exploding you’ll know I’ve lost all my money,” he once said.

In addition to Affleck, the upcoming Superman sequel will feature Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Diane Lane. Affleck, Snyder, and the studio have yet to comment on the backlash.

Were you blind-sided by Ben Affleck’s casting in Man of Steel 2? Do you believe that Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder’s sequel could suffer as a result of his involvement?

[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]