Last week a few set photos from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrived online, giving us our first look at Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne, complete with streaks of grey in his hair, which immediately sparked a rumour that Batman would be in his 50s in the new movie. Well, executive producer Michael E. Uslan has now debunked the report / speculation, revealing that the Bruce Wayne of the DC Cinematic Universe will be in his 40s, while he also went on to discuss the negative reaction that Affleck’s casting initially received.
“We’ve been through this I don’t know how many times already,” said Uslan, who has executive produced every Batman movie from Tim Burton’s 1989 effort through to The Dark Knight Rises. “Every time a director makes a creative, out-of-the-box-thinking decision on casting, it tends to get this. I remember even the Iron Man guys got it on Robert Downey Jr. initially. Of course, we got it intensely when another genius, Chris Nolan, chose Heath Ledger to play the Joker (in 2008’s The Dark Knight). And it was a huge outcry: ‘How can a guy who just played a gay cowboy (in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain) play the Joker? You’re going to destroy the greatest villain ever, this is going to be a laugh.’ So, this has happened time and again, and it happened with Affleck. To go back to the original thought of Bruce Wayne in his mid-40s, I think he’s going to be extraordinary.”
For those of you against Affleck’s casting, now that we’ve seen him in the cape and cowl, has it done anything to change your mind? And is it the right move to have Batman in his mid-40s in this latest incarnation? Let us know your thoughts…
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set for release on March 25th 2016, with Zack Snyder directing a cast that includes returning Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill (Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Diane Lane (Martha Kent) and Laurence Fishburne (Perry White) alongside Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman, Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me) as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Alfred Pennyworth and Holly Hunter (The Piano), Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire), Tao Okamoto (The Wolverine) and Scoot McNairy (Argo) in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
Originally published August 11, 2014. Updated January 18, 2020.
