Ben Affleck Reveals What It Felt Like To Learn Of Batman Casting Backlash
Ben Affleck had an honest reaction to what it felt like when there was considerable backlash to him being cast as Batman for DC
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Love him or hate him, everyone seems to have an opinion on Ben Affleck’s Batman. However, there is no denying that Ben Affleck has lived a long successful life in show business. From climbing to the top of Hollywood’s most elite proving his worth as not only an actor but also a filmmaker, the Academy Award-winning celebrity has won over the hearts of moviegoers for decades. Yet when the seasoned actor was introduced to the world as the newest celebrity to take on the role of Batman, the reaction was overwhelmingly shocking, as fans of the beloved superhero largely expressed outrage over the casting. Now, nearly six years after first donning the bat suit, Ben Affleck finally speaks out on what it felt like to initially learn of his casting disapproval.
Appearing as a guest on The Howard Stern Show this past December, Ben Affleck was asked about his reaction to the negative response to being cast as Batman. And possibly to many people’s surprise, it appears the 49-year-old took the negative reactions to heart. He had some length thoughts on the subject and it’s clearly something he’s contemplated quite a bit both at the time and since. Check out part of that Ben Affleck had to say about the Batman reaction.
“I was hurt…But I was hurt because I felt like ‘Wait a minute, come on. What do I got to do to’ you know what I mean? Like, I’m just you know, like, ‘Jesus Christ’…I thought it was an interesting idea but you know what? I also realized at that point…it’s gonna be, ‘Now this turns into a petition.’ Now they got this thing, everybody’s going to do a petition [(protesting my casting as Batman). You’re really — a hundred thousand (people), you signed a f*cking petition like, you have anything better to do with your day than sign petitions? But, ironically, the reason I did this is I wanted to do a movie for my kids, particularly my son, that they would see and be proud of.”
Ben Affleck was announced as the newest celebrity to appear as the iconic DC superhero in 2013. But when the initial casting came, it already suffered an ominous outlook, given the huge success from the last actor to helm the caped crusader. Before Affleck, Christian Bale won over the hearts of Batman fanatics with his dark and gritty portrayal in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Night Trilogy. And as is a normal tendency for fans of these long-coveted superheroes, tasking any new actor to portray such a loved character is going to come with reservations.
However, the outpouring of rage spewing across the internet when Ben Affleck’s casting news broke was peculiar given the actor’s long-running success. As Affleck had noted during his interview with Howard Stern, fans did in fact create petitions to Warner Bros. nearly minutes after casting news broke. Variety reported at the time that there were over 30 petitions just on the first day of the announcement.
Ben Affleck’s first appearance as the caped crusader introduced “Batfleck” to the world with 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie has largely been coined a flop by critics and the film holds a low rating of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Affleck was able to prove some of his naysayers wrong, as his performance in the film stood out to many. But, that didn’t stop the Argo actor from earning himself not one, but two nominations for Golden Raspberry Awards, the parody award show honoring the worst cinematic under-achievements. He went on to continue his stint as Bruce Wayne in DC’s Suicide Squad, Justice League, and the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League.
Ultimately, however Ben Affleck feels looking back at his short run as Gotham’s defender, he’s already moved on, and it is highly unlikely we will ever see the Dazed and Confused alum don the Bat-suit ever again. Now, DC fans prepare for a younger Hollywood vet to defend Gotham’s finest, as Robert Pattinson is set to be the newest rendition of Batman in the upcoming Matt Reeves film, The Batman.
