Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman! This is it, the endtimes. In the smoldering ruins of our civilization, our children will look to us and say "You witnessed it? You saw them cast Ben Affleck as Batman, and you did nothing?" and it will be our shame to sullenly nod.
Allow a counterpoint.
Christian Bale wasn't the best Batman. He was an EXCELLENT Christopher Nolan's Batman Batman, but as far as Batmen go, the animated series Batman is the best, for a couple of reasons (which may get their own post eventually, but for the sake of comedy I'll just say "gargling gravel" and walk away). Michael Keaton was the best actor to play a Batman, even if his Batman wasn't a very good Batman. George Clooney was a goofy as hell Batman, but you can't blame him for that: you can only do so much with an awful script. Adam West was also goofy, but the old Batman show was more tongue-in-cheek than we would ever allow the serious subject matter of a man dressed as a bat to be, and it's part of what makes Batman a household name.
What I'm saying is that lots of actors have brought lots of things to the Batman role. Who's to say Ben Affleck won't do the same? Yes, he'll be different from the Nolan Batman. Just like Nolan was different from the Burton Batman. But more than that, it was already going to be different from the Nolan Batman because Nolan isn't going to be as involved. But different is not always bad!
Now some may hop in with "Well, Affleck just doesn't seem like he'd fit." To them I say: American Psycho and Newsies. You think the guy who played Patrick Bateman is a good idea? Sure, Bateman is only one letter off from Batman, but the similarities sort of end there. And he was in Newsies! I think the Joker will need more than a stirring rendition of Santa Fe to take him down!
You see? You can't judge a book by it's cover.
"Well, Ben Affleck is a terrible actor." Yeah, no, that's fair. He was in Gigli. Before he was in The Town and Argo and after he was in Good Will Hunting and Chasing Amy.
Look, I guess what I'm saying is that maybe we should give the guy a chance. If the movie sucks, we can always hate on him together, but why don't we make sure the movie actually does suck before we form a lynch mob? It's Batman AKA the cash cow. It's not like the series will die if they make a terrible move (see "George Clooney" above), they'll just reboot it in a couple of years.
PS, the best thing to come out of this is a tweet from Newark Mayor Cory Booker stating:
"LOL, I'd rather be true to myself & lose than pander 2 Ben-haters & win MT@Frances_Locke Put an end to #BenAffleckAsBatman I'll vote 4 you"
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