As we’ve found out this year, keeping the secrets of a big screen blockbuster under lock and key is doable. Star Wars: The Force Awakens gave us so little before its release, that we really hope that other Hollywood studios follow its example. But when a casting decision, such as Ben Affleck being chosen to play Batman, causes the Internet to explode into raging factions of horror and disgust, everyone instantly wants to know “why?”
Well, Batfleck has broken his silence. speaking to French magazine Studio Ciné Live, the star of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had a lot to say on the role, including the addressing of the question on every Batfan’s lips: how does his take compare to Christian Bale’s in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy?
“I don’t want to compete with other incarnations, nor do I want to emulate them,” he shared. “Those versions belong in another universe.” That puts that Deathstroke theory to rest, mercifully.
He continues, “Christopher Nolan used his Batman to tell a finite story. My version is different, but remains faithful to the Batman mythology and all the themes associated with it. The other difference is that Nolan’s Batman isn’t part of a universe where other superheroes exist as well. Here – because we’re working towards the Justice League – there’s Superman, and it’s a world populated with super beings. This situation generates an altogether new reality.”
The notion of an pre-established history is something that seems to have most fans excited, with less of a need to faff around setting up the characters and the world.
“We also play a bit more with the billionaire playboy side of the character,” says Affleck, sure to put smiles on the faces of fans who felt that Nolan’s universe was missing that. “He lives that life at full tilt. He courts many women, owns many cars, and parties a lot. He does that as a way to fill the void in his soul. Moreover, past incarnations dealt with a straightforward search for justice. This time, Batman’s reasoning is clouded by frustration, bitterness and anger.” He’s selling it very well. isn’t he?
Another casting choice that has DC fans scratching their heads is that of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Speaking on the villain, Affleck says “Luthor is, for me, the most interesting character in the film, He’s radically different from what we’ve seen so far. He’s grounded in reality, and he’s extraordinary. This type of film is only as good as its villain. That’s why The Dark Knight was so brilliant, because of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Jesse improves the film with each scene he’s in. He’s not your usual one-dimensional villain, there’s a whole psychology behind him.” Could we be seeing a hint of Ledger in Eisenberg’s performance? Oh we hope so.
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