When Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman back in 2013, it left many scratching their heads as to why he’d take on such a role, though he recently revealed why he did it: for his kids.
The actor was in the midst of a career renaissance as an actor and a filmmaker, coming off a Best Picture win for Argo a year earlier.
During an in-depth conversation with The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Affleck revealed he wanted something his kids could enjoy.
For the kids: When Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman back in 2013, it left many scratching their heads as to why he’d take on such a role, though he recently revealed why he did it: for his kids
‘I did Batman because I wanted to do it for my kids. I wanted to do something that my son would dig. I mean, my kids didn’t see Argo,’ Affleck said.
‘Zack [Snyder] wanted to do a version of the Frank Miller Dark Knight graphic novel series, which is a really good version of that,’ Affleck continued.
Affleck first donned the cape and cowl in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he squared off against Henry Cavill’s Superman, who was first seen in 2013’s Man of Steel, both of which were directed by Zack Snyder.
For Samuel: ‘I did Batman because I wanted to do it for my kids. I wanted to do something that my son would dig. I mean, my kids didn’t see Argo,’ Affleck said
He also returned in a cameo as Batman in 2016’s Suicide Squad, which, like Batman v Superman, was savagely bashed by critics, though both put up decent box office numbers.
That all culminated with Justice League, which Snyder left during the production due to a family tragedy, with Joss Whedon taking over at the helm.
The result – a mish-mash of both Snyder and Whedon’s footage – was a critical and commercial failure, with the worst ratings and box office numbers in the DCEU.
Ben’s Batman: He also returned in a cameo as Batman in 2016’s Suicide Squad, which, like Batman v Superman, was savagely bashed by critics, though both put up decent box office numbers
‘Unfortunately, there are a lot of reasons why things go the way they do in the movie business, and just because your face is on the poster doesn’t mean that you’re dictating all of those things — and even if you were, that they would go well,’ Affleck said.
Still, the ultimate reason for Affleck taking on the role – for his kids – ended up making the role worthwhile.
‘I wore the suit to my son’s birthday party, which was worth every moment of suffering on Justice League,’ Affleck said candidly.
Birthday party: ‘I wore the suit to my son’s birthday party, which was worth every moment of suffering on Justice League,’ Affleck said candidly
While Warner Bros. is moving on with a new Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, Affleck will be back as The Dark Knight in at least two more projects.
He has been confirmed to return as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash, which has been slated for release in November 2022.
He will also return in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which has been re-configured into a four-hour mini-series, debuting on HBO Max in March.
Return to Justice: He will also return in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which has been re-configured into a four-hour mini-series, debuting on HBO Max in March