Keaton was a great Batman and I did have major doubts when he was announced.
Kilmer had recently done Tombstone when he got the role. I had high expectations- he did not meet them.
Conversely, Clooney exceeded my very low expectations. I just refuse to buy that movie because of how they mangled the Batgirl’s story. SHE IS BARBARA FREAKIN’ GORDON! NOT ‘DAUGHTER OF A FRIEND OF ALFRED’S’!!!
Truthfully, since Matt Damon has been brought up, I’d prefer to see him as Batman. Affleck can wear the Big S.
He was great in both The Town and Argo, and he showed the necessary physicality the role needs in The Town as well.
The internet has a short memory. When Ledger was cast as the Joker the collective reaction was very much on par with what we see here - smug, dismissive, and pigeonholing the actor.
Who cares? The movie has Superman in it, which means it will suck hardcore no matter who they cast as Batman. Hell, give Lady Gaga the role - it won’t matter.
Actually, I think Batman should lighten up a bit. The “Dark Knight” characterization is old and boring (especially so in The Dark Knight Rises) and gives no room for anything interesting to happen.
Keaton was great as Batman because he played Bruce Wayne without all the boring adolescent angst. One of the points of the original Batman was that he moved on from the death of his parents to achieve greatness; now he mopes about it all the time.
I’ll withhold judgement until some clips come out, but this:
[QUOTE=Zack Snyder]
“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne,”
[/QUOTE]
I can totally see Affleck as a good cocky Bruce Wayne, but as an older, wiser, scarred Batman? Not so sure about that.
This is actually a much better approach. Affleck does “square-jawed lunk” well, and Damon could bring some humanity to what Christian Bale left as a two-dimensional Chuck Norris parody ("The Dark Knight doesn’t sleep…he waits.)
I liked Keaton as Batman. No, I loved him as Batman. So whatever.
I hate Affleck, but I think the bigger thing is - they are making another batman? Didnt’ we just finish up with all of that? And the Dark Knight series, while good in some places (and not good at all in others), has actually made me not like Batman as much. It really made me see Batman as a rich playboy, living whatever dream he wants, while the rest of us poor slobs get along. In other words, I finally see Batman as what he was all along - the 1%.
I feel bad about this. I’ve loved Batman all my life but not as much anymore. I think it’s far too soon for another Batman movie.
Yep.
Superhero franchises are generally getting milked dry, and to continue this analogy, both of batman’s teats are red raw:
We all still have a bitter taste from schumacher’s interpretation of a camp, comicbook batman, and now the dark, fallible style has gone sour too.
I’ve never gotten the Affleck-bashing either. As an actor, he’s OK and this doesn’t seem obviously out of his range. The Bennifer stuff was annoying but not entirely his fault- and it was also a decade ago. Isn’t there a statute of limitations on this? I’m more concerned about a straight Superman-Batman teamup. Miller’s Dark Knight series is good, for example, but whatever the movie is, it’s not going to be anything like that. The characters have some interesting contrasts but I don’t think Batman really makes a lot of sense in a world with a Superman.
Yeah, I’ve never quite understood the hatred for Affleck either. And I thought Michael Keaton did a damn good job in the role. Weird thing is, Superman has never appealed to me in any meaningful way, but the team-up sounds like it might be interesting. Possibly.
Anyway. Of course the internet is on top of this already.
The writers and director and star finished with it. You still have money in your wallet and Marvel is doing their superhero team-up thing, so the studio isn’t finished. I’ve always been a Batman fan, but I’m not opposed to a break either. They just did a series that had its flaws but overall was very good, so I may sit this out.
The range of roles where Affleck is “good” is so limited he’s almost a character actor. That range is almost exclusively playing charming but working class and undereducated roles - basically the complete opposite of Batman. But hey, I’m open minded.
I’ve always been a Batman fan, but I’m not opposed to a break either. They just did a series that had its flaws but overall was very good, so I may sit this out.