Entertainment

What Does Ben Affleck Regret more than 'Gigli'?

by Anna Klassen

When I think of all the men who have played Batman over the last fifty years, the first thing that comes to mind is not their voices (the attempt at turning Batman into a caricature of a character with raspy delivery). It's not their build (the ebony hardshell Batman suit, with or without nipples, is usually a variation of the same), and it's not their lips (Bale's Batman would spit and sputter with every utterance, whereas Clooney's Batman valued diction over grit). When I think of Batman, the first thing that comes to mind is the actor's chin, because it is always the only thing that is without protection or smeared in charcoal makeup when Clooney, Michael Keaton or Adam West is dressed to match the night. While I will never fully accept Ben Affleck as Batman (why do we need another when Christian Bale portrayed him so perfectly?) he does have a memorable chin. Ben Affleck's Batman won't hit theatres until 2016 (!!!!!), so we have another two years to debate the merits of this casting decision. However, Affleck did divulge some details on his version of Batman to Playboy.

"I don't want to give away too much, but the idea for the new Batman is to redefine him in a way that doesn't compete with the Bale and Chris Nolan Batman but still exists within the Batman canon," he said. "It will be an older and wiser version, particularly as he relates to Henry Cavill's Superman character. It was a unique take on Batman that was still consistent with the mythology. It made me excited. All of a sudden I had a reading of the character. When people see it, it will make more sense than it does now or even than it did to me initially."

That doesn't really make any sense, but OK, we'll roll with it for now. It is comforting however, to know that Affleck initially turned down the role, and it wasn't until after he read about the character he accepted the part. Coming from the man who was behind 2012's Best Picture Oscar, we aim to give him credit where credit is due. Affleck also spoke about his biggest cinematic regret, which to our surprise, was not Gigli. "I understand I'm at a disadvantage with the internet. If I thought the result would be another Daredevil, I'd be out there picketing myself. [laughs] Why would I make the movie if I didn't think it was going to be good and that I could be good in it?"

He continued: "The only movie I actually regret is Daredevil. It just kills me. I love that story, that character, and the fact that it got fucked up the way it did stays with me. Maybe that's part of the motivation to do Batman."

Yet Affleck, who met his wife on set of Pearl Harbor, said he fell in love with her on set of Daredevil. "By the way, she won most of the fights in the movie," he said of wife Jennifer Garner. "Which was a pretty good predictor of what would happen down the road—my wife, holding swords and beating the living shit out of me." Affleck said.

D'awwwww. Batman Vs. Superman opens on May 6, 2016.

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