Off-Brand Batman

Warner Bros. unmasked the next caped crusader last night, apparently finding a way to write casting poetry. The first live-action iteration of Batman kicked off as a fifteen-part serial in 1943. Lewis G. Wilson played the Bat, and, in addition to the barbs about the innovative places he hid fudge (see: his utility belt), critics grumbled about the unhidden Boston accent. Lo and behold, a Southie will suit up for the 2015 release. Ben Affleck will be Bruce Wayne.

For those of you who like to tie history into a nice bowtie with the present, roots are about the only thing the Bostonians have in common. Wilson was a young unknown when he took on the role at 23, his face proving far more believable as the billionaire superhero than his physique. Affleck’s been around a time or two, a proven commodity, and he’ll rock the suit. Now, if you wanted to focus on a different bit of history—circa 2003—the conversation shifts.
That was ten years ago, though. Affleck’s since reinvented himself as a serious filmmaker. Aided by the forgotten-boy narrative of last year’s Oscars, Affleck’s reemerged as a Hollywood darling—a guy not so outside or begrudged against the system to brush off an Oscar snub. These are his people who rejected then vindicated him. He overcame, almost as if it were scripted. That’s what he’ll bring to Zach Snyder’s Batman in two years. We’ll supply the shouldered chip, Affleck can brood to Snyder’s content (see: Argo, To the Wonder), and it wouldn’t be outside the thesp’s comfort zone for the new Dahk Knight to splice in a touch of charm here and there.

Perhaps this makes him the perfect fit, then. Of all the names tossed around since Comic Con—a collection that included Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin—Affleck seems like the established actor least likely to steal Henry Cavill’s thunder. Affleck simply isn’t that sort of actor, this role not being that sort of role. Snyder fashioned an operatic, on-the-nose universe in Man of Steel. The cast, if asked to do much, seemed most utilized as instruments in the accompaniment. Affleck’s always been an actor who can hit the note needed of him and then move on. He’s a Sheryl Crow to our desired Melissa Etheridge.

Despite the resurgence, Affleck seems a choice that should most appropriately inspire pause. The immediate reaction has been less than positive, but it must be remembered that “immediate reaction” in a case such as this translates to fanboy/-gal approval/disapproval. I’ve always found Affleck a strangely bland leading man—gradually acting in his films as a director not named Quentin Tarantino might. He understands the craft, what needs to be done and when, but he lacks the electricity of an onscreen star. His greatest asset for the role, as we speculate, seems to be that made-for jaw.

But the real trouble—and this casting reaffirms it—is that this Batman was never going to match par. Batman brings along loads of baggage, both narratively and as a piece of pop culture. So, what must be done? Snyder has to reduce him down to his basic parts. After audiences so thoroughly grappled with the character’s intricacies in The Dark Knight trilogy, a supporting Batman is doomed to dissatisfy.

Affleck’s a bit cut-and-paste, but the current affection for him counterbalances the predisposed shortcomings of the role. He won’t do with this Batman what Heath Ledger did as Batman’s nemesis. He’ll step in, hopefully we’ll like him, but regardless we’ll leave the multiplex thinking the movie was still a Superman movie. This is what Snyder wants. He’s making a sequel to Man of Steel, not a superhero mashup. Someone like Anson Mount (Hell on Wheels) could’ve shaken the franchise’s core. Affleck, on the other hand, is a safe choice, even if it feels a bit like your favorite band announced a three song LP instead of a full album.

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Kyle Burton

Director of Television

I recently graduated with honors from the University of Missouri with a BA in Film Studies and English. I wrote and edited video for Syndicate Mizzou, I've blogged for The Missouri Review (one of the most reputable literary journals here in the states) and currently work there, and I presented a paper on zombie folklore and 28 Days Later and the 2012 Missouri Folklore Society conference.

Latest posts by Kyle Burton (see all)

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