Ben Affleck as Batman: Why the actor taking on the role could be a good thing

There has been a long and furious debate about the next stage in Batman movie development. There have been many fans holding holding out hope that the world of Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy would be incorporated into Warner Bros. and DC Comics’ larger shared movie universe – including the return of Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. But Nolan and Bale have made it increasingly clear that their time in the DC Universe is done, leaving the world in need of a new actor to step into the iconic cape and cowl.

Now the world has the actor who will be the next Batman… and it’s Ben Affleck. Affleck will stand alongside (and presumably against) Man of Steel star Henry Cavill in the Superman sequel film, which is tentatively being referred to as Batman vs. Superman.

Variety confirms the announcement from Warner Bros. that Affleck – who directed the studio’s Oscar-winning film, Argo – is indeed the new Dark Knight. In addition to that information, we now know when the Superman-Batman movie will hit theaters: July 17, 2015, after Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The collective sound you might be hearing right now is jaws dropping all over the Interwebs. While we here at Screen Rant have been hard at work coming up with casting choices for a new Batman, it’s safe to say that nowhere in our discussions did the name “Ben Affleck” come up. However, despite what is likely to be a tidal wave of knee-jerk reactions, Having Affleck step into the role isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for the following reasons:

1. He’s established a good relationship with WB, and was once rumored to be directing the Justice League movie. With his involvement in the franchise now secured, that scenario could still be in the cards. Fans weren’t upset at the notion of an Affleck-helmed JL movie, so…
2. Ben Affleck has left his pretty-boy persona of the ’90s/early 2000s WAY behind at this point. He’s demonstrated real skill both behind the camera and in front of it, playing brooding, troubled figures in both Argo and The Town.
3. He’s a good match for Cavill in terms of looks and charm and bulk.
4. At 41, Affleck is a perfect fit for the slightly older, more experienced, mature (and strategic) Batman that has been rumored for the film.

Of course, these reasons alone are likely not enough to dissuade those who see this news and automatically go into meltdown mode, but hopefully some of our forthcoming features on the subject will help convince the holdouts. All things considered, it’s probably safe to say that this isn’t the end of the World’s Finest.

Now all that’s left is to find a proper Lex Luthor…

Kofi Outlaw blogs at Screen Rant.