Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

Ben Affleck to fight Superman as the new Batman

By

Ben Affleck is the new Batman. Relax. Let it sink in. The Oscar-winning Argo director and star is officially confirmed by Warner Bros. for the role of Gotham City’s Dark Knight in the follow-up to Zack Snyder’s summer 2013 hit, Man of Steel. Snyder returns to helm the sequel, creating what the press release describes as “an entirely new incarnation” of Batman. Production begins in 2014.

Ben Affleck, your new Batman
Ben Affleck, your new Batman Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Superman/Batman big-screen team-up was first revealed in July during the San Diego Comic-Con. The convention also revealed that Snyder would return to direct the Man of Steel sequel, and that Henry Cavill would reprise his role as Supes. The identity of the Batman actor was left a mystery, one that’s been the subject of much speculation in the weeks since. We can now put that speculation to rest.

Recommended Videos

“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman,” Snyder said in a prepared statement. “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.”

Related: 
Best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, and more

Longtime Affleck collaborator and friend Kevin Smith offered a far less official, and more poignant, statement of his own, via Twitter.

Kevin Smith has seen Batman naked. Now relax again and let that one sink in.

Adam Rosenberg
Adam Rosenberg
Former Gaming/Movies Editor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

The 10 darkest moments in the DCEU, ranked
A tiny version of Starro attached to someone's face in "The Suicide Squad."

For better or worse, the DC Extended Universe has depicted some of the darkest moments ever seen in superhero media. This franchise started out especially grim, but it seems to have shaken off this image in the post-Snyderverse era.

Nevertheless, with scenes like these, this cinematic universe has still dared to present some heavy realism in the lives of the heroes and villains who populate it.
10. Jesse's Death - Aquaman (2018)

Read more
5 great Ben Affleck movies you should watch
Ben Affleck in Gone Girl.

Few actors have had the kind of strange, varied career that Ben Affleck has assembled over the past three decades. From his roots in small indie projects to his days playing Batman, few actors have experimented with what their star personas actually are more than Affleck.

Across that wild career, though, Affleck has assembled a number of great movies that are well worth watching. He's done this as both an actor and a director, proving consistently that he's not afraid to take risks. That's what has made him a lasting star, and these are the movies that he's likely to be remembered for.
Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX

Read more
10 cool things to know about Ben Affleck’s canceled Batman movie
Batman looking up in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Before director Matt Reeves introduced a new vision of Gotham City in The Batman, Ben Affleck was set to helm the film based on a script he wrote centered around his version of Bruce Wayne in the DC Extended Universe. But as Affleck dealt with health issues and lost interest in directing the project and playing Batman, Reeves, and Warner Bros. continued steering in a different direction until an entirely new cinematic universe came to fruition with Robert Pattinson playing the Dark Knight.

Though the final cut of The Batman is arguably one of the best films about the Caped Crusader, many "Snyderverse" fans can't stop wanting to see what could've been. And while Affleck seems happy and healthy, having hung up his cape and cowl, one can't help but want to see his canceled film based on the many cool things that have been revealed over the years.
Deathstroke is the villain

Read more