A new report has surfaced explaining more reasons why Warner Bros. decided to go with Ben Affleck as the new Batman.
The Hollywood Reporter offers some insights as to the internal thoughts behind bringing Ben Affleck on board.
Earlier this year a new Warner Bros. CEO was named with Kevin Tsujihara, who ousted the head of WB Movies with Jeff Robinov. The report states that bringing Ben Affleck on board relieves the uneasiness some of the talent felt with all the changes (Legendary and Thomas Tull were ousted as well). It’s said Ben Affleck as Batman shows the studio is publicly behind one of their signature actors.
It’s also stated the Christopher Nolan situation had a large hand in getting Ben Affleck for Batman. It’s said Nolan offered Man of Steel to Affleck, which Affleck declined to direct. The report states Nolan had a large role in the Man of Steel with post-production as well as bringing Zack Snyder on board. Apparently, Snyder was the one who reached out to Affleck. It’s also said with Nolan busy shooting Interstellar, that Affleck’s talents as a director and actor will be beneficial on set (in our own report we were told WB loved Affleck’s dedication as an actor and director).
Perhaps the biggest reason for Ben Affleck deciding to do Batman is that the pressure really isn’t on him as much. THR notes that since the 2015 movie is a sequel to Man of Steel, that any potential under performance issues won’t land on his shoulders. While it’s not specifically stated in the article, Superman fans can assume that the movie will be more focused on the Henry Cavill storyline (seeing it’s a sequel).
Now regarding Henry Cavill, THR states that Henry Cavill is not thought of as an actor who can carry a franchise, as he is still up-and-coming. They even go so far as to state that Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe were the strong draws of Man of Steel, but now that the characters are dead, there is a need for someone who can carry a movie. Enter Ben Affleck.
The report also states Ben Affleck as Batman lines him up to star and potentially direct Justice League (our report stated Affleck made a huge impression with WB regarding the Justice League talks).
The sequel to “Man of Steel” goes into production next year for a July 17, 2015 release also starring Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
For more news on the “Man of Steel” and related movies head on over to the Cosmic Book News Superman movie hub.
