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Late yesterday, Warner Bros. announced that Ben Affleck would play Batman, in the upcoming Man Of Steel sequel directed by Zack Snyder. Obviously this is a payoff to Affleck, after he brought Warner Bros. a Best Picture Academy Award win with Argo, right?!
The Man of Steel sequel will have Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman, and Snyder promises Affleck will provide "an interesting counterbalance" to that character. "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. I can’t wait to work with him," Snyder said.
Warner Bros. president of creative development Greg Silverman also chimed in on the casting, saying, "We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics' most enduringly popular superheroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some. His outstanding career is a testament to his talent, and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character."
WOW, @BenAffleck is gonna play Batman. I hope he fights the Joke-ah! #wickedpissah
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) August 23, 2013
Holy shit... BEN AFFLECK IS THE NEW BATMAN!!! http://t.co/acivqxFl0U Do you know what this means? It means that I've seen Batman naked!!!
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) August 23, 2013
I want to congratulate Ben affleck on winning the part of batman it was some battle but you won fair and square .
— Chris Rock (@chrisrock) August 23, 2013
Of course the casting is making many want to overturn every table in their sights, while others are just crafting Matt Damon-as-Robin jokes/pleas. But why do people hate Affleck? Is it because he seems so smug? Or is it because he inflicted Gigli and Bennifer on us? He does a great job of playing assholes and he certainly has the jaw for the cowl. Then again, Daredevil.
UPDATE, 8:33 A.M., Expect Affleck's Batman to be brawny. Us Weekly reports that Affleck is working out two hours every day to get in shape. Which isn't as hardcore, as say, those epic 300 workouts that Zack Snyder put his oh-so-manly cast through.
Affleck did get really ripped for The Town. (Remember those pull-up scenes?) Bodybuilding.com says for that role, Affleck, "trained like an animal. He was super hardcore," using the "intensity builds immensity" approach.
And, lest we forget, Affleck was surprisingly good as George Reeves, TV's original Superman, in the underrated 2006 indie Hollywoodland about Reeves' mysterious death.
Of course, if you hate the guy, all the brawn and indie cred in the world isn't going to help change your mind.
Sharon Knolle contributed to this post