INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

‘Batman V Superman’s’ Ben Affleck Explains ‘Star Wars Episode VII’ Rivalry

By Patricia Didelot
Published on: 03:22 PST, Oct 1, 2014

Anyone following directors Zack Snyder and J.J. Abrams have noticed the very cool rivalry between their movies Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the yet untitled Star Wars Episode VII. Now Ben Affleck has revealed how this all came to pass.

For movie geeks the little game Abrams and Snyder are playing on Twitter couldn’t be cooler. Two of the brightest directors of our generation embroiled in a back and forth, where each gives us a little glimpse of each other’s movies and characters.

According to Affleck — who has been talking more than usual promoting his new film, Gone Girl — the rivalry between Batman v Superman and Star Wars Episode VII began in private, before it exploded on social media. In an exclusive Yahoo UK video interview the actor reveals how this all started.

“I think it was started because J.J. (Abrams) and Colin Anderson, who is a great (camera) operator who always works on my movies, and J.J. is always trying to steal, and I’m trying to steal back, sent me a picture of the two of them wearing cheap Batman masks.”

“I showed it to Zack (Snyder), and said ‘this is bulls***, we have to do something about this.'”

So fans actually have Ben Affleck — who thinks the whole thing is really “cool” — to thank for the game between Abrams and Snyder now taking place on Twitter. The Batman v Superman director was ready to retaliate, the 42-year-old actor says, with all the technology he has at his disposal and posted this photo of Henry Cavill (Superman) kind-of dressed as a Jedi, holding a lightsaber, this past July.

After learning that this photo was a response to the “cheap” Batman masks Affleck talks about, we better understand why Henry Cavill is seen wearing a cheap black robe, which he has been spotted wearing on the Batman v Superman set. Snyder posted this pic just prior to San Diego Comic Con and fans went into a frenzy, some even asking if the Brit was actually being considered for a part in Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII.

What was Abrams’ response to the Super Jedi photo? Using his production company, Bad Robot’s Twitter page, the Star Wars Episode VII director posted this photo of John Boyega, one of the trilogy’s newcomers, wearing perhaps one of those cheap Batman masks.

The following day Abrams shared a close up of Affleck’s Batman. Nothing new here, just an up close look at what he had earlier revealed, when he posted the first photo of the Batmobile earlier in the summer. The 75 is indicative of the 75th anniversary of the character.

Snyder used two of the characters from Batman v Superman and Star Wars Episode VII — Batman and R2 D2 — next, which now appear to be miniature versions. Looking back, the speculation that followed this photo is laughable, now that we know the true origins of the rivalry. This was also the first time Snyder directly mentions Bad Robot in his tweet.

A few days later, one of the coolest images of them all was posted by the Star Wars Episode VII director, showing another classic character, C3PO lurking in the night in what appears to be Gotham City. He wears the black cape that Batman uses and Abrams also tags Snyder directly on this tweet.

After reports that the Batmobile was “missing” from the set of Batman v Superman in Detroit, Snyder posted this clever “scene.” We see a Star Wars Episode VII Stormtrooper being arrested and taken away in a Gotham City patrol car. The Batmobile has been “found.”

In what is the best post so far, Abrams shared a very short clip which shows a Millennium Falcon that has seen better days, hiding the Batmobile in its underbelly. The video comes complete with score from both Star Wars Episode VII and Batman v Superman. Fans loved this one and it has a great caption.

Now it is Batman v Superman’s director Zack Snyder’s move. He has taken a long time, since Abrams posted the Star Wars Episode VII clip on September 18 and it’s now October. Perhaps we will see a video from Snyder, stay tuned.

[Image via Zack Snyder]

Share this article: ‘Batman V Superman’s’ Ben Affleck Explains ‘Star Wars Episode VII’ Rivalry
Twitter batman superman zack snyder J. J. Abrams Ben Affleck Henry Cavill
More from Inquisitr