Oh, for God's sake

[selenak]

My inner mule balking at assumed wisdom, fannish consensus and my inner rooter for the fannish underdog kicked in with a vengeance yesterday. You know, I hadn't looked forward to the planned Superman & Batman film, since I had severe ideological and storytelling problems with Man of Steel, though I liked the cast, and basically thought The Dark Knight Rises was rubbish, except for Selina/Catwoman, who was fabulous. Since the production team behind both would also be responsible for the proposed Batman & Superman thing, I was (and still am) suspecting exactly the same problems that annoyed me in the former two films in the future effort. Also, hearing Frank Miller's name thrown about does not inspire confidence.

However. The near universal reaction to the casting of Ben Afflek made me decide at once that come what may, I will see this film in the cinema instead of waiting for an accidental tv viewing, as I was intending to. Because good lord, you'd think they'd cast Tony Blair. Or Mel Gibson. Personal feelings about Ben Afflek: never saw Daredevil or Gigi which I take it are the basis for Afflek loathing, however liked him as an actor in Shakespeare in Love (where he had a blast as Ned Alleyn) and more importantly in Hollywoodland where he played George Reeves. (I also very much like him as a director, but that's irrelevant as to the casting, I know.) Neither performance would put him on my "best current actors" list, but they were enough to give me positive feelings about his abilities. Now given the scripts for both Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Rises, I don't think the Batman/Bruce Wayne this particular production team writes will someone I can be fond of. But then again, he just might, because as I said: the more comments like "The thought of Ben Afflek as Batman makes me throw up a little in my mouth" I read, the more I'm starting to root for Afflek!Batman. Not just because of my inner mule but because I just don't see what Ben Afflek has done to deserve that kind of animosity. He was in a few turkeys a decade ago and also had the tabloids after him and his then girlfriend. This is true about how many actors? I mean, have you seen, say, Michael Caine's resumé? Sean Connery's? On the other hand, Afflek also acted in a couple of enjoyable films, produced some highly watchable, interesting films as a director, he can write scripts, his current marriage and family seems to leave the tabloids endlessly frustrated by being a non-scandal, and he never, whether he was popular or disliked, used his status du jour as an excuse to be an ass to people, let alone violent (which sadly still makes him an exception among celebreties). This makes me like him or at least his public persona, since I don't know the man, more than I liked most incarnations of Bruce Wayne/Batman in any medium, to tell you the truth.

Lastly: the award for best reaction to the Afflek casting goes to Kevin Smith, though. Who, if you recall, put Ben Afflek & Matt Damon in a couple of his films and upon hearing the news graced us with this quote: "Do you know what that means? I've seen Batman naked!"

Comments

[ratcreature]

I actually liked the Daredevil movie with Ben Affleck. It's what got me into Daredevil comics. It wasn't great, but not bad either. OTOH I've never watched the Nolan films, even though (or perhaps because) I was really into Batman comics and the animated series when they came out. I'm rather baffled about the widespread negative reaction in advance.

[bimo]

A while ago I decided that comic superhero adaptions were just not for me, therefore I will not comment on any of those. But Ben Afflek? Not quite understanding the hate, either. Over the years I've seen him in a quite a number of movies (ranging from Dogma over SiL to Terence Malick's 2012 drama To the Wonder) in which Afflek's performances were ranging from "okay" to "actually quite good".

[selenak]

Right? I mean, if Afflek had been doing a Mel Gibson, spouting antisemetic remarks, threatening spouses and what not, I could understand people feeling strongly about it independent from actor competence. But as it is, it feels like the kid which for some mysterious reason every one decides to pick on.

[lilacsigil]

The Daredevil movie was not great, but Affleck wasn't the main issue: the poor script and direction (with a writer/director) and later studio cuts were. I didn't like the Nolan films and found Christian Bale's Batman unintentionally hilarious, so honestly this would be a step up if it weren't for Zach Snyder's involvement.

I still haven't bothered seeing the third Batman movie, but if someone made an all-Catwoman cut, I probably would!

[nomadicwriter]

I never understood the Daredevil movie hate either. It's about on a level with most of the other "not great but perfectly watchable" superhero films of that era like Fantastic Four, so I don't know why it gets singled out as the worst of the worst the way it does.

(I can't imagine I'll go and see Superman/Batman, admittedly, but that's because all the DC movies so far have looked completely unappealing to me, for reasons of tone and scripting choices rather than anything to do with casting.)

[applegnat]

however liked him as an actor in Shakespeare in Love (where he had a blast as Ned Alleyn)

Yes! I didn't pay much attention to the fracas over Affleck as Batman but I thought I could get where the rage was coming from because I haven't really ever rated him as an actor. But last night as I was getting ready to go to bed, almost unbidden, I found myself thinking of Alleyn strolling into the theatre drawling "What is the play, and what is my part?" and went, oh yes, of course.

[applegnat]

I should say that Argo was a sociopolitical disaster, though. Whitewashed and racist.

[wychwood]

Yes! I enjoyed Daredevil a lot; it's one of my favourite Marvel films. I'm not particularly interested in Batman or Superman, but I see no reason why Affleck shouldn't be competent enough.

[saturnofthemoon]

I'm right with you here. I was a bit ambivalent to the casting announcement yesterday, but that has more to do with my lack of interest in DC movies. I can't see why Ben Affleck would make a terrible Batman and the hate surprises me. It's a bit of a redux of fandom's reaction to Anne Hathaway's casting as Catwoman. (I'm still thrilled that she proved the haters wrong.)

[selenak]

Here's hoping someone will do the Catwoman edition. :) Because she really was great.

[selenak]

I'm not much into DC, either, but, as I said in the post: this disdain actually decided me on seeing it in the cinema.

(Anne Hathaway! Oh yes. I remember all the jeering when the first photos made the rounds, too. Hah!)

[skywaterblue]

I actually think he's particularly good casting for Bruce Wayne, who is always neglectfully underwritten in these things, but as the Batmovies have shown, by far the hardest and most critical part of the Batman mythos to write.

[likeadeuce]

I've been really amused to see the social media backlash on this one because a few hours of 'Affleck is THE WORST POSSIBLE CHOICE!' flailing (at least on my networks) gave way to people linking to stories about fans in 1988 protesting the Michael Keaton casting, and OF COURSE to actual findable blog posts about how Heath Ledger would oh so certainly ruin the franchise forever.

[oyceter]

I'm actually irritated about the casting not because I have personal feelings about Ben Affleck or Daredevil, but because Hollywood keeps using box office success as an excuse to not make more superhero movies starring women and/or POC, and then the Batman people go on to cast the star of a movie that's usually not considered one of the good superhero movies.

I can't really say how well that matches up to general fannish consensus about the casting, though!

[selenak]

Not in the posts I've seen, but as opposed to the "how dare DC defile Batman by casting Afflek" attitude, yours is a good point to make!

[selenak]

Matt Damon agrees with you and makes the same point in defense of his pal.