Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Movie News: Ben Affleck Is Batman

It's been four days since the casting was announced and while this isn't a movie blog generally, I did promise some Batman content and here goes nothing ...


By now we all know that Ben Affleck (Argo to name one of his many credits) has been cast in the upcoming sequel for Man Of Steel, rumoured to be titled Batman vs. Superman and it's nice to know that people have generally learned nothing from past experiences. I can understand perhaps a lack of enthusiasm for Affleck's casting but do people really think petitions site against the man are going to achieve anything? Personally I think Affleck is fine enough casting - he looks the part, is the right age for the characters of Batman/Bruce Wayne the story is rumoured to be telling (an older, wearier version of the characters) and he's a good actor. You know, the stuff that actually matters in the grand scheme of things. Of course, even if he doesn't compare to the likes of Michael Keaton and Christian Bale, I can't see him faring worse than either Val Kilmer (who has openly supported Affleck's casting) or George Clooney.


However like many people, I do have some reservations. Actually a few to be honest and none of them are a reflection on Ben Affleck himself. I am actually confident that I'll like his version of Batman but it's hard not to admit that the inclusion of the character into the second Henry Cavill as Superman movie seems a tad forced. It's not that long since The Dark Knight trilogy ended and with Christopher Nolan not having any involvement in the project, can Zach Snyder really deliver? His direction in Man Of Steel has certainly divided movie goers over the summer and with a Justice League movie not far off either, you could argue it might be better to leave Batman and Superman meeting until then and just focus on further establishing Cavill's take on Superman without having the Caped Crusader overshadowing him in his own franchise. I'm definitely in two minds of it myself at the moment.


Elsewhere after it being rumoured for ages, it now seems that Bryan Cranston will be a part of the upcoming sequel as well. The Breaking Bad actor will be playing Superman's nemesis, Lex Luthor, having signed a deal for six appearances in the DC universe. Well, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

Press Release: http://www.digitalspy.ie/movies/news/a509294/ben-affleck-confirmed-as-batman-in-man-of-steel-sequel.html
Bryan Cranston Casting:  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/breaking-bads-bryan-cranston-to-play-lex-luthor-in-man-of-steel-sequel-8785892.html

Filming for the Man Of Steel sequel will begin in 2014 with a summer 2015 release scheduled. I'll provide more updates as they come.

No comments: