Ben Affleck’s Batman Will Be ‘Tired And Weary And Seasoned,’ Says Warner Bros. Chief
Ben Affleck’s Batman won’t be a spring chicken, according to Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
At an investor gathering Thursday, Tsujihara said that Affleck was “perfect” for Zack Snyder’s vision for the character in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, and that the backlash from fans shows how deeply people care about the Caped Crusader.
“We think it’s the perfect springboard for Batman and Superman. Ben is perfect for the vision Zack has for that character,” he said. “The fact that you saw such a passionate response in the blogosphere is really kind of a testament to the love that people have for this character.”
Tsujihara also said that Affleck’s Batman won’t be a spry young superhero like Henry Cavill’s Superman, and that the 41-year-old will portray him as “tired and weary and seasoned and been doing it for a while.”
Tsujihara said that the Man of Steel sequel, which is being called Superman vs. Batman(or vice-versa) “really does tie to all parts of our business.” The Warner Bros. chief also said that there will be “lots of announcements” coming out of the DC Comics unit. The company currently has three animated TV shows based on DC characters, and has two “huge” DC Comics games out this year.
“I love the way our slate is positioned going forward,” Tsujihara said.
Although the fan response toward Ben Affleck has been largely negative, the Academy Award winner has received plenty of support from within the industry. Most recently, Affleck’s casting was approved by someone he competed against for the role: Josh Brolin.
Brolin confirmed that his reps were in talks with Snyder for the role, but that he ultimately felt Affleck was the better man for the job.
“I didn’t have conversations about it, but Zack, that was part of his idea. It just didn’t turn out. It’s OK. It is OK,” he said. “You know, another scenario might have worked better, but I’m happy for Ben.”
Brolin also said that he thought the negative response was unfair.
“I’ve never seen such a global reaction in my life. I feel for him, truly. I would not want to be him right now,” Brolin said.
“The reaction becomes so personal. It’s like, ‘F*** this guy, I wish he was dead.’ And you’re like, ‘What? Dude, seriously? This guy is just working like you are. He’s doing the same thing you are. He’s trying to make the best choices he can,'” he added.
[Photo credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]
