Ben Affleck will be the new Batman in the new Warner Bros. "Man of Steel" sequel, the studio announced on Thursday. He will work with filmmaker Zack Snyder to create a new incarnation of the superhero, who for the first time will join Superman, played by Henry Cavill, on the big screen. "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," Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production for Warner Bros., said in a statement posted to the studio's Facebook page. "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."
"Ben provides an interesting counterbalance to Henry's Superman," director Zack Snyder added. "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."
Affleck and Warner Bros. have enjoyed quite the relationship over the last few years. The 41-year-old actor starred in and directed both "The Town" and "Argo" for the studio; that latter film, of course, won Best Picture at the Oscars in February, this despite Affleck being snubbed in the Best Director category. However, this move only furthers Affleck's relationship with Warner Bros. along with the upcoming crime drama "Live by Night," on which he serves as both a director and co-writer.
Sue Kroll, president of worldwide marketing and international distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures said about Affleck's new addition to the Superman franchise: "We are so thrilled that Ben is continuing Warner Bros.' remarkable legacy with the character of Batman. He is a tremendously gifted actor who will make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two beloved heroes."
Early reports had predicted that Christian Bale was going to reprise his role as The Dark Knight. When Warner Bros. recently announced that the sequel to "Man of Steel" will hit theatres in July of 2015, Bale supporters began hinting that they'd love to see him back on screen as Batman. Though many fans would have loved to see Christian Bale take on his superhero role a few more times, the 39-year-old said in July that it may be time for someone else to suit up as the hero of Gotham and that he's excited to see how the future of Batman will be portrayed.
"We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three. That's enough. Let's not get greedy," Bale said in an interview. "Chris [Nolan] always said he wanted to make it one film at a time. And we ended up sitting there looking at each other, saying 'we're about to make the third.' We never really knew if we were going to get to be there, but if that was how it was going to be, this was where it should end as well. It's a torch that should be handed from one actor to another. So I enjoy looking forward to what somebody else will come up with."
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What do you think about Ben Affleck putting on the famous bat suit and taking on such a legendary role? Sound off in the comments section below!
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