WhenBen Affleckwas first cast as Batman in a new movie from directorZack Snyder, the response from the public was, uh, intense to say the least.I wrote at the timeabout why the outcry was dumb—after all, there was fan outcry overHeath Ledger’s casting as Joker and he turned in an iconic performance. Better to wait and see what Affleck would do with the role rather than jump to snap judgments.
Judgment Day came in 2016, whenBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicehit theaters. ThisMan of Steelfollow-up was an even grittier, more grizzled superhero film than Snyder’s previous DC movie, as it pittedHenry Cavill’s Superman against Affleck’s Batman in a battle of brawn and brooding set against the rainy backdrop of Metropolis and Gotham City. Response to the film was divisive. Critics weren’t kind, singling out the joyless quality of the nearly three-hour superhero drama and puzzling decisions with regards to the character of Superman. But some fans fell head-over-heels for Snyder’s raw and visually epic twist on iconic superhero characters. And as for Ben Affleck’s Batman? Oddly enough, his take on the Caped Crusader was one thing aboutBatman v Supermanmost agreed on: not bad!
We’re now nearly five years removed fromBatman v Superman. Snyder’s planned follow-upJustice Leaguefell prey tostudio meddlingafter the response toBvSscared Warner Bros., and he eventually exited his role as DCEU overseer altogether (although The Snyder Cut is on the way). Also gone is Affleck, who only played Batman twice (plus aSuicide Squadcameo) before hanging up the cape and cowl. In their stead, WB is moving slowly and cautiously with more standalone entries in the DC library, includinga rebooted spin on BatmanwithRobert Pattinsonin the role.
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But with Affleck heading back to dramatic territory with films like the sports dramaThe Way Backand the upcomingThe Tender Barand Warner Bros. moving away from Snyder’s gritty mythological take on the DC universe, it feels appropriate to note that Ben Affleck’s Batman was good, actually.
Affleck’s performance inBatman v Supermanis dynamic and hardened and sorrowful. It’s a version of Batman we’ve rarely seen onscreen, and one that stands in stark contrast toChristian Bale’s more heroic take, the broad comedy ofGeorge Clooney,Val Kilmer, andAdam West’s performances, orMichael Keaton’s offbeat loner spin on the character. That unique quality made theBvSBatman at least somewhat compelling on the page, but Affleck brought a gravitas to the role that said a lot with a little. His voice, his posture, and his eyes all telegraphed a deep-rooted pain and exhaustion that gave us a different kind of Batman. One weary of the years spent trying to do good for Gotham City only to face continued unrest and further descent into chaos and violence.
Indeed, one of the more controversial aspects of Affleck’s Batman inBvSis that he kills people, and is even considered sadistic for his penchant for physically branding criminals. And while those aredefinitelydisturbing acts from a so-called superhero, Affleck’s take on the character leads you to believe that yeah, this particular Batman probably would resort to extreme violence at this point. He’stired. Tired of fighting, tired of taking two steps forward and one step back. The exhaustion even manifests in Affleck’s performance as Bruce Wayne, in which he’s barely even trying to put on a façade of “frivolous playboy billionaire.” That’s not to say he’s justified in his actions, but they certainly make sense within the story confines that Snyder sets up inBatman v Superman.
That also gives Affleck a great starting point for the character. We meet him at a pretty low point in his life and career — possibly the lowest. He has absolutely no patience for this alien Superman’s antics, especially in the wake of the tremendous loss suffered as a result of Superman’s fight with Zod in Metropolis. The character has room to grow, and while that growth does indeed involve a climactic moment in which the two characters bond over the shared name of their mothers, it’s growth nonetheless.
Of course,Batman v Supermanwas supposed to be a starting point for Affleck’s Batman. The idea was to continue to explore this character throughat least three additional films— twoJustice Leaguemovies and a standalone Batman movie. But the troubled shoot ofJustice Leaguecoupled with his own personal struggles led Affleck to walk away from the character altogether. Which is understandable — health and family should always come first. But it’s also a shame, because it feels like Affleck never really got the Batman movie he deserved.
Batman v Supermanis in some ways a promising start, but that movie itself has serious, deep-rooted problems that stand in Affleck’s way.Justice Leagueis an ensemble film in which Affleck shares the screen with a number of other heroes, and even setting aside the severe storytelling issues resulting from studio-driven reshoots, you can tell Affleck is sleepwalking his way through that particular performance.
I don’t begrudge Affleck for walking away from playing Batman. He took on the role at one of the highest points in his career. He had won the Best Picture Oscar for directingArgoand had just worked withDavid FincherinGone Girl, and now he had a chance to put his stamp on an iconic superhero. And whileBatman v SupermanandJustice Leaguearen’t necessarily considered successes, I’d argue Affleck’s take on the character was very much worthwhile. We saw a Batman onscreen we’d never seen before, and Affleck brought that role to life in a tremendously compelling way.
So yes,Justice Leagueis a mess andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis an overly dour dirge. But Ben Affleck’s Batman? In the immortal words ofLarry David, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.
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