In a new interview with Playboy, Ben Affleck was, obviously, asked about his upcoming portrayal of the Dark Knight in Zack Snyder‘s Batman vs. Superman (WB; 5/6/16) and he was candid and honest about the whole thing from his reluctance to initially take on the role to the fan reaction. Here’s a snippet:
PLAYBOY: What convinced you [to take the role]?
AFFLECK: When they asked if I would be Batman, I told them I didn’t see myself in the role and I was going to have to beg off. They said I’d fit well into how they were going to approach the character and asked me to look at what the writer-director, Zack Snyder, was doing. The stuff was incredible.
PLAYBOY: Why?
AFFLECK: It was a unique take on Batman that was still consistent with the mythology. It made me excited. All of a sudden I had a reading of the character. When people see it, it will make more sense than it does now or even than it did to me initially.
PLAYBOY: How will your Batman differ from the others, particularly the one played by Christian Bale?
AFFLECK: I don’t want to give away too much, but the idea for the new Batman is to redefine him in a way that doesn’t compete with the Bale and Chris Nolan Batman but still exists within the Batman canon. It will be an older and wiser version, particularly as he relates to Henry Cavill’s Superman character.
PLAYBOY: How much did the hostile fan reaction bother you?
AFFLECK: I understand I’m at a disadvantage with the internet. If I thought the result would be another Daredevil, I’d be out there picketing myself. [laughs] Why would I make the movie if I didn’t think it was going to be good and that I could be good in it?
Batman aside, I’m more interested in what Affleck has done in David Fincher‘s Gone Girl and I’m nearly done reading Dennis Lehane‘s Live by Night (12/25/15) and can tell you right now, if done correctly that is going to be the movie to look out for, the book is excellent (buy it here) and has some really meaty roles.
Looking at it now, the next three movies for Affleck could redefine his entire career and I say that fully aware of how many awards he won for Argo. If he nails down the cast for Live by Night it will make Argo look like child’s play, especially if he finds a way to tap into some sort of inner-Martin Scorsese. I can’t wait.
