It certainly hasn’t been all roses for Ben Affleck since he was first announced as securing the role of The Dark Knight for Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe.
His initial casting was met with a huge backlash from some fans (often par for the course when it comes to announcing a new Batman), and while he won over many naysayers with his role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the film was pummelled by critics, resulting in the Sad Affleck meme.
Since then, he’s had to contend with the critical drubbing of his second outing Suicide Squad, as well as daily rumours and speculation about his future as Batman, particularly following his decision to vacate the director’s chair on The Batman.
With Justice League almost upon us, Affleck has recently stated that he’s “contemplating” whether to return for The Batman, which is now being directed by War for the Planet of the Apes helmer Matt Reeves. And now, in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he has explained why he agreed to take on the role in the first place:
“Literally, the reason I took this movie was imagining that, like, you know… wearing that costume and having my son see me. You know? Everybody wants their kid to think of them as a superhero. You know, before they get too smart.”
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There are only a handful of people on the planet who can get to tell their children that they’re Batman (without lying!), and one would have to imagine that’s worth all of the hassle that comes with it.
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice League will reunite Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and Robin Wright as General Antiope alongside J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) as Commissioner Gordon, Amber Heard (The Danish Girl) as Mera, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Vulko, Kiersey Clemons (Dope) as Iris West, Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones) as Steppenwolf, and Julian Lewis Jones (Stella) and Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
Originally published November 15, 2017. Updated April 18, 2018.
