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I like how everyone knows Affleck won’t be able to play Batman in a film of which they have zero inkling of its tone, style, conception of the character, etc. The argument seems to boild down to, “I can’t see him being the Bale/Nolan Batman.” As if that’s the only way to portray the character.
No, I can’t see him playing a Batman that would make a strong dramatic foil for Cavill and Snyder’s Superman.
Too bad for you. Cause he’s the god damn Batman.
I’m at the point where I don’t hold somebodies career against their chances of playing a character well. Why can’t we all just wait and see what he makes of it? Richards right, we could save your posts Merri and come back in 2015 and shame you with them for all you know.
Great. Let’s not form an opinion on any casting news ever.
I just don’t see where you or any of the haters are coming from with this one. Can you honestly say Christians performance in the Nolan films, or Keatons performance in his films is beyond what Affleck is capable of after his latest output? It’s not like Daniel Day Lewis is going to take up the cowl. Heath Ledger was amazing but he was amazing in one of the broadest most colorful characters ever. Bruce is not that BIG, he’ll do fine.
Forgive me but you’ve made several references to Daredevil, a 2003 film, in a manner that makes you look like you’re throwing a bit of a fan boy hissy fit. Go watch Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo and then come back to this thread.
How and who is going to score this thing remains the most interesting question for me right now. Personally, I was looking forward to Zimmer melding his Dark Knight and Man of Steel work into a cohesive entity. Assuming this Batman represents a reboot, though, that wouldn’t make sense, and would be pretty distracting. So what then? It’s hard to imagine Zimmer working on the film and completely throwing out his previous Batman work. Do you bring on a new composer to adapt Man of Steel’s themes while breaking new ground for Batman? Do you just start from scratch, even though MoS’s score was well-received?
Honestly, this intrigues me more than the Affleck thing.
Hell, just watch THE TOWN.
Affleck is physically imposing. He can do menace. He has screen presence. He may not be Ralph Fiennes when it comes to acting, but he sure as hell isn’t Keanu Reeves, either. (And I write that as someone who likes Reeves!)
I get feeling disappointed that this sidelines Affleck from doing more directorial efforts. That sorta bums me out, too, especially since he was attached to THE STAND (which I assume is in development hell at this point, at best). And while a lot of the internet seemed to be cheering for Brolin or Hamm (I was good with Brolin, despite his age, never sold on Hamm in a costume), I absolutely don’t understand the kvetching and negativity. They hired a solid actor with the basic skills needed.
Freeman is the voice of reason here, as is Richard. We don’t know the tone or take on Batman this film will have. We don’t know the story. It seems safe to assume that it won’t be Schumacheresque or like the 60s TV series. Based on those assumptions, and that Snyder is using Miller’s TDKR as inspiration, I think the character is in good hands with Affleck. (Whether the story is in good hands is an entirely different matter.)
Also: DAREDEVIL has 99 problems, but Affleck ain’t one of them (bad haircut aside). He has some actual great scenes, and does what he can with the script.
I’m kind of hoping TDKR ISN’T the template for this. I don’t want campy, but I’d like to see this film go back to the more friendly rivalry style the characters had. Something along the lines of what Byrne did with them in the Man of Steel mini-series, or what the animated World’s Finest did. You can have a committed, driven Batman and still not have everything be dark and grim and realistic.
I’m reserving judgement until I see him in motion.
Maybe being Batman gets Affleck even more power, and maybe that gets WB to make his “The Stand” when it would otherwise never exist. Maybe I’m being too optimistic but this whole thing could turn out roses.
Basically any version of Batman played by Kevin Conroy. It all seems to be the same solid take on the character.
I don’t know about ‘template,’ but given that at SDCC Snyder had Harry Lennox read a snippet of Bruce’s dialogue from the final confrontation in the GN and has basically said they’re using it as a leaping off point…
But yeah, I’m with you. I’d rather have a friendly rivalry or mutual respect tinged with wariness.
AI think this is a truly bizarre choice, but I’m loving the whole of the internets reacting as if WB just murdered all our pets and shat on their graves
Er, he’s not even in GONE BABY GONE. He’s *okay* in ARGO, but outshone by pretty much everyone else. THE TOWN’s probably his best work, but nothing about it says he’s right for the kind of Batman that jibes with the quoting of TDKR and the ponderous nature of MAN OF STEEL.
And I’m really not having a hissy fit. I couldn’t care less about the film, it’s a cynical, barely thought-out panic move at this stage. I just can’t fathom who out of the major players thought this was a good idea. Warners has hired the lead of one of the most maligned superhero films to date. Affleck has put his amazingly promising behind-the-camera career on the backburner for a presumably multi-film role that’s going to get him a ton of flak before even a frame is shot. Given the plethora of other choices that could have slotted into the role - Brolin, Bana, Hamm, Mortensen - I just think it’s a misstep for everyone involved.
And I love how we’re to assume this veritable laundry list of other actors who “would have been better” were a)available and b)even interested. Just because Josh Brolin exists in the Batman movie in your head doesn’t mean it not happening in real life has to be a disaster.
That’s a great analogy, Richard. FF is an awful film, but Evans manages to shine in it and do good work with a shit script. Likewise Affleck in DAREDEVIL.
The Daredevil DC is a fine film. If you are basing any stance of that film on the thatrical version you are very, very wrong.