Ben Affleck as Batman... really?

When I first heard about a film with Superman vs Batman I'm not going to lie, I feared the worst. My initial thoughts where of a film that was so overly hyped that it could never live up to the expectations of every comic book and superhero movie fan. Even now as I write this I know that this is a very likely possibility, but the more I thought about it two things stopped me from dooming the film from the outset. First of all, reports this week are that Christopher Nolan will not be involved, which automatically brings the expectation down a level. Nolan has single handedly changed the face of Superhero films by bringing a much darker and deeper aspect to this genre of film. And secondly, Ben Affleck is Batman. That's all I need to say really.

If you haven't guessed by now I do not feel that Affleck is a good choice for the role of Batman. If I'm honest I think it's way to early to be even thinking about having Batman in a film for another 10 years, and here is why. Christopher Nolan's world that he created for Batman is a world that is so much different to anything we have seen before. In the past Batman films have been comical and fairly light hearted, whereas Nolan turned that on its head and created the darkest of Dark Knights. Batman Begins (2005) set the scene, giving us an origin story to the caped crusader. Next came arguably the greatest superhero movie of all time, at least I believe so, The Dark Knight (2008), whereby Nolan released Health Ledger's Joker which, to the surprise of many, smashed the legacy left by Jack Nicholson 19 years previous. I think it is important to reiterate that 19 years had passed from Jack Nicholson's phenomenal performance as The Joker to the breathtaking portrayal given by Heath Ledger. In them 19 years people had by no means forgotten how brilliant Nicholson's performance was but everyone was ready for something new. Everyone knew the pressure was high on Ledger but what he did with the character was simply unforgettable.

Now, everyone will agree that Christian Bale was an exceptional Batman, his temper tantrums off camera only acted as a positive in terms of creating a darker and more convincing Batman. It may prove that Affleck is a perfectly good Batman but what he does not have is a 19 year gap to let people settle before a re-boot. However, as we all know, this is not how Hollywood works. With the earnings that Nolan's Batman trilogy brought in, and the well deserved hype and fan following that follows, no film company where ever going to not try and gain as much cash as they could before the superhero boom we find ourselves in dies down. Especially DC Comics who are desperately trying to keep up with Marvel.

To touch back on Affleck and why I feel he is the wrong choice as Batman. His appointment as the Dark Knight only brings more pressure and hype on a film that does not need it. Choosing an actor that is not constantly in the limelight would knock down the expectation just a little and allow the fans to sit back and say, "OK, let's see if he's any good." Yet with Academy Award winning Affleck, expectations are higher than ever. A friend recently said to me that Affleck is a better director that he is an actor and I couldn't agree more. I am a big fan of his 2010 film The Town, and that was not due to his acting as he was completely outshone by Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall, yet the way he captured Boston was one of the highlights of the film. 

I definitely would not like to have been casting director for this film as I don't think I could stand the pressure of being the person responsible for choosing who should fill the cape of Christian Bale, but please leave a comment on who you think should have been cast as the new Batman. Or whether you think Affleck is the right choice!