This is my first step into the blogging world and so to kick things off I decided to write about something that I'm truly passionate about. There aren't too many things I'm more passionate about than Batman, so let's get started!
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a die-hard Batman fan. I’ve
been a fan since I discovered the Adam West show as a kid (and even met
him when I was 5) and I’ve remained a fan through each new incarnation of the character
through the good and bad times.
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| I wore my Roger Rabbit shirt for this special occasion |
So when news of Ben Affleck’s casting as the new Batman in
the upcoming Man of Steel sequel hit, I was flooded with texts from friends
reacting to the news and wanting to know what I thought. Pretty much the knee jerk
reaction was this was the worst choice they could have possibly made and that
WB is killing their chances of competing with Marvel’s movie domination by betraying us loyal fans.
Despite Affleck having made strides behind the camera in
recent years, the stigma of such failings as Daredevil and for me personally,
Pearl Harbor, (I knew better than to waste time on Gigli), are still fresh in
memory. That’s not to say that I despise Affleck as an actor entirely. The Town was
a step in the right direction and he was good in State of Play. I’ll even go as
far to say that his scenes in Boiler Room was the best part of that movie.
With this unexpected announcement, Affleck joins the club of
actors who have portrayed more than one super hero onscreen. Some have had
great success at pulling double superhero duty (see Chris Evans who made the
smooth transition from Human Torch to another Marvel hero, Captain America) and
then there’s Ryan Reynolds who went from bad (Deadpool) to worse (Green
Lantern) when he should have been playing The Flash all along and now will never get the chance (probably). The less said about Halle Berry's superhero turns the better. Now it’s Affleck’s turn to leap from a Marvel to a
DC vigilante. The only question is, will round two be the charm when it comes
to portraying another superhero (I’m not counting Hollywoodland for the
record)?
I’ve had a week to process the news. In that time the
backlash took Twitter by storm and many journalists who write about this stuff
for a living have denounced the decision while a fair amount have come to his
defense. Even former Batmen, Adam West, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton have
given Affleck their blessing. So far Clooney has yet to break his silence on
the matter, which I don’t blame him as I’m sure he doesn’t want to remind
everybody about his ill-fated turn as the Caped Crusader, although having picked up an Oscar for producing Argo, I’d be shocked if he’s anything but pro-Affleck. Hopefully he can pass on some lessons on how NOT to do it. I know I'd sure like to erase that movie from my memory.
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| Batman & Robin never happened. And I was never Two-Face! |
I'm slowly becoming convinced that Kevin Smith is moonlighting as Affleck’s agent as he’s
probably been the most vocal about the whole thing. Or maybe he just wants to
remind everyone that he and Affleck are BFFs. Smith has said in the past that he thinks Affleck could play anything, but he has yet to convince the rest of us. Either way, as much as there was
a lot of negative reaction, I’ve been seeing just as much from the pro-Batfleck
camp as well.
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| We get it Silent Bob. You and Affleck are buddies. |
As for me, I’m still on the fence. While there are so many
other fine actors that I would have chosen in his place, I think Affleck has
come a long way since he wore out his welcome as a blockbuster draw and he
seems like he’s at the top of his game currently. I’m not rooting against him
because I genuinely want it to work and for him to succeed in this role because it’s
my favorite superhero, but I also can’t conceive of him disappearing into the
role where Bruce Wayne is concerned. That’s the risk you run when you cast a
big name, something they avoided with Henry Cavill’s casting as Superman, but
whether that will work for or against Affleck remains to be seen.
So far now,
I’ll get on with life knowing it could have been better, but it could have
been a LOT worse and will save my final judgment for when I see it in theaters
because there’s no way I would miss it.
Until then, I leave you with the exclusive first promo poster for the upcoming Superman/Batman movie. Enjoy!
