Casting Ben Affleck As Batman Was A ‘No-Brainer,’ He Has ‘The Chin’ Claims ‘Batman V Superman’ Director Zack Snyder
From the archive: published Jan 12, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.
The upcoming release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will offer the world the first real look at Ben Affleck as Batman. While fans share both excitement and caution in regards to how Affleck will appear on screen, director Zack Snyder is very confident about his casting decisions. In fact, the director recently told People that Affleck is the perfect man to play the part of the caped crusader.
More specifically, Snyder explained how Affleck’s chin was one reason he decided to cast the Gone Girl actor for the part. “He’s an amazing Bruce Wayne, let’s just be frank about that. And then when he puts the cowl on, you know he’s got the chin for it,” Snyder stated.
Snyder went on to discuss how it was an easy decision to offer Affleck the role. Not only does the director believe that Affleck has the ideal physical characteristics for the part, but he also believe fans will agree once they see Affleck in action.
“Casting Ben felt like a no-brainer to me. I know that there was some backlash, but he’s just so perfect to me, especially in his size and his age,” Snyder added. “I’m sure once the fans discover it, they’ll feel the same way I do. He’s certainly got the chops for it, so I didn’t quite get the initial reaction.”
Based on the photos that have been released so far, which can be viewed on Cosmic Book News , Affleck does appear to fit in nicely with his new role. Along with a grittier version of the iconic character, the photos reveal that Affleck looks comfortable playing an older Bruce Wayne.
“I think there is a ton of pressure on it. I mean I would be bulls**ting you to say there isn’t,” Snyder explained to Variety . “We are a very kind of instant gratification culture when it comes to analyzing the film business. And there is a lot of hyperbole involved. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of pressure on it. If it doesn’t do well, that will be extremely disappointing.”
Along with Affleck, Batman v Superman will see the return of Henry Cavill in his role as Superman. At the same time, the movie will also introduce Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The rest of the film’s cast includes the likes of Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Diane Lane (Martha Kent), Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Jeremy Irons (Alfred), Tao Okamoto (Mercy Graves), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), and Holly Hunter (Senator Finch).
While fans eagerly await for the release of the new movie, the verdict is still out if Snyder’s decision to cast Affleck was a good move. Until then, the trailers and photos that have been released seem to justify Snyder’s casting, though fans will have the final decision when the movie premieres this spring.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to open in theaters on March 25, 2016.
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