Ben Affleck Cast as Batman for New Superman Sequel Movie, Sparks Mixed Reactions
Ben Affleck is making a waves after being named as Batman for the 2015-scheduled Man of Steel sequel.
Affleck, the 41-year-old actor, will join "Man of Steel" star Henry Cavill in the first film adaptation of superheroes Batman and Superman coming together on the big screen, the Warner Bros. studio announced Thursday.
Zack Snyder, directed Man of Steel which was released this year and grossed over $649 million worldwide. Although the sequel to Man of Steel has yet to be titled, Snyder spoke about Affleck joining Cavill's Superman character in a statement Thursday.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry's Superman," Snyder said in the statement, according to Entertainment Weekly reports. "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."
After the news was announced, Batman, Ben Affleck, and Man of Steel became trending topics on Twitter. Celebrities took to the social networking website to react to the news. Actor Anson Mount applauded Affleck's choice to star in the historic Man of Steel sequel.
"As an actor who has been undercut by premature criticism in the past, I applaud Affleck for his bravery in stepping into the Bat Boots. He's proven that he's a workaholic and a fine actor," Mount tweeted. "Let's all give him a shot. He's worked for this and he deserves it."
Wil Wheaton, the actor and writer, did not seem to go as easy on Affleck. Instead, Wheaton took to Twitter to joke about some of Affleck's most criticized movie roles in Gigli and Daredevil.
"Really looking forward to seeing Affleck bring the depth and gravitas to Batman that he brought to Daredevil and Gigli," Wheaton tweeted.
Greg Silverman, an executive at Warner Bros., spoke about why Affleck was the perfect fit for the role.
"We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics' most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some," Silverman said in the statement released from Warner Bros studios. "His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character."
The Man of Steel sequel will begin filming in 2014 and is slated for a July 2015 release, according to reports.
