And the new batman is...

I swear between this and Michael Bay remaking everything, Hollywood is both out of ideas and hellbent on ruining my childhood.

That's why you go the opposite direction: Trollhunter, Thale, Iron Sky, Chaws, The Host

If Affleck can do for Batman what he did for Daredevil, we'll all wish we were blind.

Trans_Maro wrote: So, let me get this straight... The fanboys are concerned that Ben Affleck is a bad choice and may ruin a story about a billionaire who dresses up as a bat to fight a gang of evil clowns. Is that about right?

I know. It's like people complaining abut the transmission choices in a car they will never buy.

With Holden McNeil as Batman...

I expect a guest appearance from Bluntman and Chronic.

he got the role because he already played a winged character and bats have wings... right?

Whatever.

Man-pretty Affleck will be a great Bruce Wayne, and all Batman has to do is scowl.

That said on that standard they seriously missed out by not casting Karl Urban. His scowl in Dredd was masterful.

The real question is. Will Matt Damon be Robin?

Here is my issue. I picture Bruce Wayne as a brooding, dark, mysterious character, who for the most part hates his wealth and those who abuse positions like his own. I think Christian Bale played that part perfectly because Bale tends to play dark characters.

Many past iterations of Bruce Wayne fell victim to this, George Clooney being one of them. He's just too damn charismatic an actor to play this dark, troubled character.

I think Afleck will need some serious grit, and maybe a few dark character portrayals in the meantime to pull off Batman.

Overall the idea of Batman vs Superman seems like it'll be incredibly difficult to produce anyway.

Lesley wrote: Heath Ledger was a really gifted actor. Didn't realize until I saw "Brokeback Mountain". I'm not a big fan of Affleck, but I'm sure he'll do a great job. And while Bale's Batman was somewhat irritating (seriously, what the hell was with that stupid voice every time he was in costume?) holy hell was he fantastic in "The Fighter". More range than his role as Batman ever suggested.

Ledger's Joker was eerily believeable and more than a little spooky, that dude was one helluva actor. Didn't see BBM so I can't comment on his performance in that. Bale was okay but not great as Batman.

I don't know enough about Affleck to make an informed comment on him as Batman.

I hope he doesn't wind up like Christopher Lloyd (who is an excellent actor and I'm a big fan of his work) as the Klingon Commander Kruge in the Star Trek III movie; every time he had a line you couldn't help but think of Reverend Jim from 'Taxi'. IMHO not his fault, in that one honestly he was miscast.

christian bale was a dbag. ledger played his inner freak and won acclaim shortly before offing himself with the drugs that made him "such a great actor"

michael keaton was the best, and there is no other joker other than nicholson. the first was the best, and tim burton is a genius.

PHeller wrote: Here is my issue. I picture Bruce Wayne as a brooding, dark, mysterious character, who for the most part hates his wealth and those who abuse positions like his own. I think Christian Bale played that part perfectly because Bale tends to play dark characters. Many past iterations of Bruce Wayne fell victim to this, George Clooney being one of them. He's just too damn charismatic an actor to play this dark, troubled character. I think Afleck will need some serious grit, and maybe a few dark character portrayals in the meantime to pull off Batman. Overall the idea of Batman vs Superman seems like it'll be incredibly difficult to produce anyway.

+1 all around. Bale was able to convince me that his character had gone from bright-eyed clueless douchebag rich kid to extremely intelligent and cunning, DARK character. Which was really no surprise to me, considering how awesome he was (IMHO) in American Psycho and The Prestige. Sure, he's "a douchebag...." until he dies from depression and drug overdose, and then all you guys will be screaming about what a tortured genius he was.

This will be directed by Zack Snyder, right? Is the general concensus that Man of Steel sucked balls, or am I making that up? Haven' seen it yet.

Yup. I was so impressed with his portrayal in "The Fighter", I watched it twice. It was Mark Wahlberg's baby, but Bale stole the show from him. If you liked Ledger, "BBM" is a must-see. For the squeamish - there's only one guy-on-guy scene, and later on you get to see Anne Hathaway's tits to make up for it.

PHeller wrote: Here is my issue. I picture Bruce Wayne as a brooding, dark, mysterious character, who for the most part hates his wealth and those who abuse positions like his own. I think Christian Bale played that part perfectly because Bale tends to play dark characters. Many past iterations of Bruce Wayne fell victim to this, George Clooney being one of them. He's just too damn charismatic an actor to play this dark, troubled character. I think Afleck will need some serious grit, and maybe a few dark character portrayals in the meantime to pull off Batman. Overall the idea of Batman vs Superman seems like it'll be incredibly difficult to produce anyway.

yeah but what if they use the Batman from the 60's tv show and the Superman from the 50's tv show as inspiration? and do it with as little CGI and as much cheese as possible...

i'd actually go see that...

Still think Affleck will do fine. But if I were the casting director, my first bat-call would have been to Timothy Olyphant. If he didn't answer, I'd go for John Hamm. I think Batman/Wayne would be completely in the wheelhouse for either of those guys.

jg.

Never thought of John Hamm - he'd be great!

From Patton Oswalt, and I think he makes a really good point:

No matter how many times you post your stupid "Fire Ben Affleck from Playing Batman" petition, I'm going to delete it and block you. Take a deep breath, and think for a second:

Yeah, the dude's made some bad films. Every actor has. Every actor does. Every actor will. It's a huge, arcing career and NO ONE has control over where it goes. Movie to movie, year to year, you're collaborating and trying and risking and, sometimes, yes -- failing.

Plus, everyone seems to forget that he had the world dropped in his lap when he was YOUNG. And, judging by how other suddenly-famous youngsters do in the same situation, he fared pretty well. Even when it went wrong, he seemed to keep a self-deprecating, long-view philosophy about the burning freak carousel he'd found himself on.

And then what happened? I mean, he'd fallen from a HEIGHT. You know what happens to 95% of people who weather a descent that steep? They come apart, fray at all of their sanity nodes, and give up.

But then there's the 5% who embrace crushing defeat and see it for the gift it is. And here's the gift: when you fail, and fail UTTERLY, you wake up the next morning and see that the world didn't end. And then the fear of failure is gone. And you're free. You're free to proceed on your own terms and pace -- if you have the ego that permits you to.

Ben brushed himself off, realized he'd kept his eyes open on the movies he'd done, and started directing. And he's become a damn good one.

A Batman portrayed by someone who's tasted humiliation and a reversal of all personal valences -- kind of like Grant Morrison's "Zen warrior" version of Batman, post-ARKHAM ASYLUM, who was, in the words of Superman, "...the most dangerous man on the planet"? Think for a second and admit that Ben Affleck is closer to THAT top-shelf iteration of The Dark Knight than pretty much anyone in Hollywood right now.

I'd write more, but I have to go work on my post about how an overweight 44 year-old comedian with bad feet and insomnia would be a bold choice for The Joker.

While I can see Reynolds as a great old school Joker, it remains to be seen if he will continue as the green lantern for JL.

I still think it's stupid Batman can beat Superman in anything.

DoctorBlade wrote: I still think it's stupid Batman can beat Superman in anything.

Yeah but you gotta remember Batman developed ways to defeat every member of the Justice League, including Supes. It was his little insurance policy in case any members went nuts and had to be stopped.

DirtyBird222 wrote: The real question is. Will Matt Damon be Robin?