I think what people disliked was the script Ben was given, not his performance. Ben did really well with what he had and given a good script I think his portrayal would be much more beloved.
My guy, Reeve killed, too.
Hell, Superman has killed in the comics, as well.
The point of him killing Zod once was to push him to a breaking point which results in him wanting to never kill again.
I could be wrong about this but in the early years of the comics, I believe that he even killed Lois because she was pregnant with his son and he flew her into space?
You're thinking of Injustice Superman. Joker got him with some kryptonite-laced fear toxin that made him think Lois was Doomsday. This causes Supes to snap and take over the world. Cool story, but not the main Superman.
>They made Superman kill
Ig not-totally-human Zod was just sleeping when Reeves threw him down that hole to his not-death. And he was even laughing about murdering him like a psycho lol
How can I say Affleck was a good Batman when his character is probably closer to Lex Luthor than Batman?
This isn't the Star Wars fandom that is going to send death threats. Affleck is an descent actor and quality director. But the movies did him no favors.
It was a 20 year tired veteran Batman, who had 1st hand experience seeing the destruction of Metropolis. That instilled a radical, arguably justifiable hatred/fear towards him, which made him so villainous/misguided. Alfred even commented on it.
"Men fall from the sky, the gods hurl thunderbolts, innocents die. That's how it starts, sir. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel."
This is definitely a big part. I also think the DCEU is just hated in general so most actors and characters associated with it are going to get some of that hate thrown at them regardless. I really enjoyed Ben's take on the character and would have loved to see more
I often say he was the better batman in the worse movie, and Bale was the other way around. The voice, the fighting styles, the demeanor.
The coolest part about Bale's Batman was the tumbler imo.
That's kinda how I view it (and I think it might even be the general consensus, not sure.) I really liked Bale's Batman in Begins, and I honestly think it's my favourite of the trilogy, but I think he kinda went overboard in TDK and Rises.
I'm pretty sure the difference between movies was mostly a post production thing. Bale was still doing the same voice, but they distorted it much more heavily.
More interesting was that he was supposedly going to have a voice changer like Affleck's Batman but they scrapped the scene explaining that.
I swear Nolan is deaf. The sound mixing in most of his movies is atrocious.
I liked the vocalizer take. It makes sense for a universe trying to be grounded and sounds a little less ridiculous than straight up growling.
Ha.
Yes.
A friend of mine went to school for sound engineering and one of his instructors gave everybody an assignment to remix the sound in some scenes from Rises.
I think people actually give Bale more shit than any other Batman nowadays. Except for Clooney, people are generally pretty positive towards all the actors that have played the role.
Honestly I always hated the tumbler. I'm not a fan of a master os stealth driving an outright tank around. At least the one in Arkham Knight looked like a car half the time.
This. I actually loved Ben Affleck as the character, but I'm not a fan of the script all that much. It makes me dislike *his character* but not *him as the character.*
Ben gave a fun and interesting performance, that gala scene in BVS where he meets Clark was great. My problem was the script and direction he was given in those movies
Ben was the only one who played Batman that looked like he could have been Batman. The acting was fine, script sucked but he looked and acted the part better than everyone else.
Who cares what other people think
Like what you like, be proud of it, and use your money toward it
Also, most people are morons haha
*“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”* - George Carlin
I guess they don't recognize anger, fear, or resentment as emotions. I've also seen a lot of people say he played the best live action Bruce. The Zach Snyder movies and everything about them is an incredibly divisive topic among Batman/comicbook fans. Some people hate them and can see nothing good about them while some people are the exact opposite. A lot of fans I've talked to that don't see this topic as completely black or white thought Ben would have been great had he been given better material.
Affleck looks like Bruce Wayne/Batman the most. Bad writing and shitty films ruined what could have been great. Christian Bale is still my favorite because the films have better character development etc. I personally didn’t like Afflecks suit aswell. Too bulky. But that’s just me. To each their own.
Jumping into the DCU with BvS and Justice League was such a horrible idea. There was no setup and almost no development of the heroes. I understand that the need for build is lower than an IP no one is familiar with. But the stakes were almost non existent.
The people at DC who make the decisions regarding films really need to take some classes on the importance of world building. I also think we need to stop doing films and instead shift the focus to premium TV formats. Three hour movies are too much. They’re too long for movies and still somehow not able to encapsulate cinematic universe. Move to 6-8 seasons.
Ben did a great job and I honestly am disappointed we don’t get to see him as Batman again.
I think it would have made more sense for the character and the audience if we saw a flashback of Robin being murdered (or turned into the Joker of that theory is to be believed) instead of watching the Waynes get killed for the 17th time.
I believe the idea (which also would have landed better without Doomsday and the Death of Superman being in the same film) was to have Superman return hope to Bruce, bringing him out of the murderous darkness he fell into.
"How many good people are left? How many of them stayed good?" (Paraphrased) shows that Batman has been breaking down over time (20 years as Batman)
And I cant remember the quote, but Bruce is talking about how nothings changed and they have always been criminals... Alfred remarks that things have absolutely changed. I think the implication is that Batman has only recently started branding and killing people.
Also worth noting because it is the #1 meme complaint about the movie. In multiple conversations Bruce talks about how Superman is an alien, and he needs to be stopped etc. They go to great length show that Batman is doing everything he can to completely dehumanize Superman. He knows his name is Kal-El and that other aliens of his species came looking for him and nearly terraformed Earth (likely wiping out all human life if they succeeded.) Its likely that he thinks Clark came as an adult refugee, then quickly caused the deaths of people Bruce is on a first name basis with. When Clark becomes desperate and drops Martha's name (which its odd he didn't say "my mom" but whatever) all of that effort Bruce put in is undermined. His mothers name isn't alien like Kal-El is, and then Lois, who Bruce may recognize, is there clearly knowing Clarks identity and confirms Martha to be his mother. He begins to see Superman not as some otherworldly force imposing his will on the world, but as another man who decided to put on a cape and make his home a better place. Everything he knows about Superman is immedietly restructured, he isn't an enemy but a possible ally with similar goals. Affleck does a great job of showing both shock and a bit of shame. I believe that is the moment that hope returns for him, he doesn't have to work alone anymore.
This is probably the most well thought out and nuanced take on that whole Martha scene I've ever read. Just wanted to point that out and say well done. As someone who enjoys Batfleck and BvS and feeling like I'm in the minority I really appreciated this. Thank you.
Honestly I feel like it would have carried more weight if Batman hadn't been killing people by this point. Cause every human he's killed had a mother, and possibly could have had children. So it feels weird for him to suddenly care all of a sudden that Clark has a mom.
And if he was just brutalizing people and not killing them, I think his dehumanizing Clark would have also worked a hell of a lot better. He's so dead set on dehumanizing Clark, because he's never killed another person before. So he tries his damnedest to trick himself into viewing Clark as non human.
I think it's hard for people to remove Affleck's Batman performance from his general image and vibe, at least in the last decade. Because dude has been playing exhausted, depressed, likely alcoholic middle-aged dudes almost non-stop. Argo, Gone Girl, The Town, and even this Bruce Wayne. It doesn't help that this persona is also exactly how he behaves when paparazzi is annoying him, so the general public tends to see this as Ben Affleck *acting like himself*, which is always easy to criticize.
To me, Affleck always communicated the feeling that Batman doesn't want to deal with other heroes, they're all just additional variables and require contingencies. He understands this is a hypocritical position, but then, Batman's anti-crime vigilante crusade is inherently hypocritical, so he's doing what he's gotta. If he was in his element in Gotham, maybe he'd behave a little, I dunno, bouncier.
Yeah that's what I always got from his performance as well. He always seemed tired and defeated. And I get that that's kinda the point but it felt so similar to his other roles.
I think it also had to do with Affleck's level of fame. Most of the other Batmen were semi-well-known but not huge stars. Batman is what *made* them stars. Robert Pattinson might have been the most successful coming into the role, but he was kind of hated/dismissed throughout his career because of Twilight. Micheal Keaton was sort of a star (Mr Mom, Gung Ho and Beetlejuice were probably his biggest hits), but even that casting seemed a little quirky, and I think people like that for this character. Affleck comes in and he's already a commodity. Of *course* he gets to play Batman. That's not quite the spirit of The Batmen. The other Batman that people hate? George Clooney.
I just don’t like the fact that he used guns. A brutal beat ‘em to a pulp Batman works fine for one that lost his Robin, but using guns goes against the more modern interpretation of Batman.
Ig people disagree with Kevin, as do I. Just cause Kevin has the most beloved performance of Batman, doesn't mean all his opinions on the matter are objectively correct.
Because people generally have their own opinions and make their own inferences
I happen to agree with Kevin, but it’s a little silly to expect people who don’t like Ben’s interpretation to change their minds because of him.
These guys think if they argue hard enough DC will be like "OK we're bringing back Ben & the Snyder-verse, just please stop holding your breath you are turning blue in the face." All while never realizing how much those movies sucked. SMH
Ok, I don't want to be that guy or anything...
But Conroy was a human being and like most human beings he has opinions and those opinions could very much be different from literally everyone else's opinions.
I don’t hate Affleck’s Batman. I just don’t want him. I don’t like the actor. I don’t have a lot of respect for him as a person… So I don’t like looking at him as Batman. That’s all there is to it for me. Certainly not enough to compel me to take to the internet and complain about him nonstop as others do.
Ben Affleck is just one of those actors where you just see him as Ben Affleck, not his character. That really doesn't work for Bruce/Batman. I think the only other actor that has been like that in the role is George Clooney, and we can all agree that was not the best version of batman lol.
Because Conroy’s Batman may have been beloved but that didn’t mean his opinion was god’s word in terms of characterisation. Conroy was the voice actor and not the writer.
Affleck gets crap because of the movies he was in. I think if he’d gotten good material, more people would see him the way Conroy did. But that would be a very different universe.
I loved angry Baffleck it just needed an intro movie or show to explain why he’s so angry. The entire shot with the dead Robin suit was a waste without an explainer. Sure us nerds got it but otherwise it seemed jumbled and rushed.
He's a good actor. His performance was alright in a certain interpretation. But the films he was in weren't the best.
Other actors were in better batman films and did pretty great too in their performances.
He could have potentially been better if the perfect circumstances arose and the wider issues with his films were solved and therefore things matched his ability.
But it's a moot point really. No point talking about missed potential.
Yeah I remember how much I hated BvS when it came out. A few years later I rewatched it a bit older and a bit more mature but the director’s cut. Not only a better cut but I completely changed my view of the performance. Just goes to show how, even though enjoyment is subjective, we can be mature in how we complain rather than be as toxic as other fanbases. Complain when it’s appropriate like justice league but appreciate the artist may have had a different vision as well if it in its own right is decent objectively.
People praise Keaton purely out of nostalgia. He wasn't very comic accurate as Bruce, or as Batman. Bale is praised because the trilogy was amazing, and even though that interpretation wasn't very comic accurate, he did an amazing job in the role as Bruce and Batman. Killing aside, bens Batman was amazing. Great suit, dark and brutal Batman, great Bruce Wayne. Pattinson is probably the most comic accurate so far, especially for an early years take.
I love how The Batman was in part about him going from being "Vengence" to being "Justice". I think the writing and directing set a fantastic stage for it and the Robert Pattinsons performance sold it.
Ben affleck suffered from Zack Synder’s poor vision heavily. Wanting a gritty, murderous, borderline alcoholic Batman who swears a ton, and thinks with his fists. His Bruce wayne character was nearly non-existent. The only thing Bruce Wayne does in those movies is the attempted rescue in the battle of metropolis and going too Lex Luthor’s party for information. None of that portrays the duality of Bruce Wayne in my opinion. His Batman is an absolutely despicable maniac, he doesnt represent anything Batman stands for. He kills, he uses guns, he tortures people, he tries too literally kill superman. BVS allegedly was loosely inspired by the Dark Knight returns. In the TDKR Batman does NOT try killing Superman. Their fight had an important purpose, he needed to teach Superman a lesson. He needed too show him what it was like to be mortal, to be injured, too bleed. Batman in BVS wants nothing more than literally impalling clark in the chest with a fucking spear. I dont exactly see the inspiration.
I have no doubt in my mind Ben Affleck could have been an amazing Batman. But he never had a chance with Zack Snyder in charge. If Pattinson’s movie had been Affleck’s (not the same story of course but just a Solo Batman movie set in a new timeline) it would have absolutely been the greatest Batman movie ever made. But unfortunately we didnt and will never get that. Batfleck will show up for 10 minutes in The Flash movie just for some sweet sweet toy sales and that will be the last we ever see him.
Very well said. "A despicable maniac" is a good way of putting it - anyone witnessing the aftermath of Batman's Kryptonite theft would conclude that they were the excessive actions of a violent lunatic.
Sadly all of the movies Batfleck was in were terrible so that leaves a bad taste in people's mouth. It is a shame because if we ever got a Batfleck solo film it would have been the best live action Batman hands down.
Ben was so RADICALLY different without any of the pay off showing us the audience why he was the way he was. Keaton got a pass because he was the reintroduction post Adam west for a lot of people but after 1992 (returns) we got batman the animated series and for a lot of kids, myself included it distilled batman to the most basic and easy to understand attributes.
1) Batman DOES NOT KILL. EVER. He would rather risk his own life than take one. He will save people regardless of whether they are friend or foe.
2) he is a loner and considers Bruce Wayne necessary but unimportant. He doesn't consider that facade as his real self hence why Kevin gave him a distinct voice and why bale did the gravelly batman voice.
3) he doesn't use guns. Given that his family and his life was destroyed by a coward with a gun (to the point that all his hallucinations revolve around gunshots and the gun symbolizing his loss of innocence) he would never touch them.
4) despite his anti social and brooding personality he deeply cares for people because he wants to be a force for change that will leave the world better than when he found it. Every life he saves is a chance to save his parents so their families never have to have their hearts broken like he did.
Then we have batfleck:
1) kills indiscriminately and brutalized people for what seems like his own amusement. Zach comments that batman kills people which is so untrue and he then doubled down by calling us fing stupid if we thought he didn't.
2) batmans a loner but arguably batman makes less screen time than just batfleck and the voice changer in his cowl while probably easier on his throat is kind of dumb.
3) prominently uses guns in the film
4) wants to kill superman based on what he might do rather than what he has done. Not to mention being a patsy for lex and while he softens in later films he shouldn't have started out so dark in the first place. First impressions are everything and as a HUGE batman fan Batfleck rubbed me the wrong way the minute I saw him try to justify killing superman for a 1% chance
I liked Ben but hated the movies he was in. I was really looking forward to his own self produced Batman film that never occurred. By the time Justic League was filmed you could tell he wasn’t as into it anymore.
I didn’t like BvS but the one aspect I enjoyed was Ben Affleck’s portrayal. Bummed he didn’t get a better script to work with.
Because the movies themselves are trash. I think ben was great as Bruce, decent as batman.
Was kinda hard to lose myself in the character when batman had a batchin lol. Batfleck legit did have an impact on my view of the character and whether or not I could believe it.
He was a perfect Wayne though.
Kevin Conroy valued portrayal above script and story, I believe. What he didn't like about Bale was mostly the voice because it made it hard to take Batman seriously in his opinion. And while the script was not helping, it's pretty much universally agreed that Ben Affleck absolutely rocked in his performance as Batman. He was serious, and intimidating. He looked and sound and acted the part to perfection pretty much.
He did well with what he had. Batman V Superman was utter mince (sans the wearhouse scene). His Batman was also underdeveloped because they shoehorned him in. This Batman is older and angry and kills. (Would have been great if I had gotten to see that!) His appearance in Suicide squad was meh (deadshot would have killed him if it wasn’t for his daughter) Justice League was inconsistent with a Bruce acting more like Tony Stark (wonder why) And ZS justice league arrived too little too late.
So that’s why
I’ve always thought Ben was very believable as Batman and did a great job. The fact that DC kinda puts out shitty movies isn’t his fault by a long shot. I could see it being a depressing experience for him honestly so I appreciated his effort.
Surprising. I thought the one thing fans agreed on after BvS was that Ben did a good job despite the doubts and negativity beforehand.
It's probably the killing though. Yeah... mowing henchmen down with a hood-mounted machine gun is not a great look.
To be fair, Kevin Conroy also criticized BvS in the very same interview that OP is referring to.
“Batman is not a killer. In the most recent live action movie, that seems to have been a line that was crossed and it’s not one I’m particularly comfortable with.”
Love Kevin and think he’s the GOAT but never agreed with this opinion. Never really felt that duality at all really with this interpretation of the character, and honestly think out of the live action actors Bale had the most duality. Actually more than just duality since you had fake Playboy Bruce, real and down to earth Bruce, and raging growling Batman all in the same films. I just never felt that with Affleck. I know I’ll get downvoted for saying this, but I never felt he wasn’t Affleck in a badass batsuit, or Affleck in a nice suit. Just never saw in him what a lot of people seem to see. And overall I just find that Keaton, Bale and Pattinson were just more fun for me to watch in the role and made more interesting and risky choices with the character, which I love with Batman.
I think Kevin was just being nice. Cause I did not see what he sees. I love Kevin but Ben ain’t it he’s not Bruce Wayne. Honestly I think Ben would be perfect as Thomas Wayne. The brutal drunk gun wielding Batman
Ben was a stellar Batman in shitty movies. Ben was NOT the problem. Those movies were a hodge-podge mess of too many stories crammed into too little space. That his performance stood out the way it did was amazing considering all the shit he had to dig himself out of. God damn narrative nightmare.
Gonna disagree with the majority here: Affleck was not a good Batman, and it wasn’t just the script. I found absolutely nothing about his performance interesting or original in the slightest. Totally paint by numbers.
While we’re at it, Henry Cavill seems like a great guy, but he’s just not a very good actor and his Superman was completely wooden and charmless.
I’m sorry and I look forward to your downvotes.
Think I just hate every one of the films so I find it hard to take his character seriously. Always thought he was massively overhyped. Thought the version of Bruce written for him was just nothing. No appeal, nothing special
Afleck's Batman picked up a gun and shot paratroopers with it. That's the antithesis of what I grew up with from the animated series and then Justice League & Unlimited.
That's the writer's fault, not Afleck's. But it does make his version of Batman the shitiest.
To me Ben is perfect as Bruce Wayne and Batman. I think what people seem to overlook is that we are not getting Batman in the early stages. We are getting him 20 years into it. He is beaten down and tired of losing people. He isn't just carrying around the death of his parents. He is carrying around the death of Dick Grayson and other loved ones as well. He seems to be breaking his own principles/rules because they haven't been helping him cope.
Edited: I said Jason when it was Dick Grayson. Thanks for the correction Jaguarluffy!
People struggle to separate the acting performance from the movie. IMO Affleck was the best Batman performance, but the Dark Knight was the best movie.
I don't dislike batfleck. I just think the movies that he's in since the beginning as Batman are mid. Maybe the flash will change that but I don't think so with Keaton coming back
I wrote off Affleck the minute he was cast and I just watched BvS. He’s my favorite Bruce Wayne and that duality that was mentioned is accurate. He’s the only Bruce that has the air of a rich guy, but you can see that tension in him.
He played the experienced, jaded batman very well and his Bruce felt complete. The act and veneer was very practiced and very well set.
The script wasn't the best and the outright murderous batman didn't sit well, but I grasped what they were going for. Even if it lacked nuance and felt like it was made that way because Hollywood have convinced themselves viewers can't think or notice things
IMO Ben is a terrible actor and his Bruce Wayne was comically bad. I know some people will disagree, but his performance was so flat. That's only one issue I had with his portrayal.
Ben's performance was fine, as was the duality. I think the interpretation batman himself was not great. Felt nothing like even TDKR batman, he just feels very dense and so narrow-minded he almost seems immature. Him learning that supermans mom has the same name being some emotional watershed moment makes him feel so emotionally naive that it's weird he plays an older Bruce. Batman was written to be dumb in the movie. Nothing that Ben could've controlled
I liked his batman, scarred and without mercy. Been through so much that he even takes lives.
But his Bruce Wayne was weak, he should be this typical playboy role that he can put on when needed.
Instead we got "I like those shoes" as a woman walks away
It could just be him being nice. After all, Stan Lee said something similar to all the three main live action Spider-Men actors when they were the contemporary Spider-Man, which I’ve seen all three of their fans use as “evidence” as to why their Spider-Man is best one
Bale and Affleck definitely pull off their own respective versions of bruce wayne very well. No offense to Conroy (and R.I.P. 😟) but I feel like Michael Keaton just had the perfect voice for Batman. The mysterious whisper fit the character beautifully. What I do agree with Conroy about is Affleck definitely does fit the batman/bruce wayne character well and I actually really liked Ben in ZSJL. I did NOT, however, like his bat voice as it sounded too robotic, but this is just me. He'd benefit from a stand alone bat film starring him and a good script. Same like how henry cavill was a great choice for superman, its just the BvS script failed Ben and him as actors.
With the exception of clooney, I actually like all the batman actors and most of the voice talents in cartoons (minus a few).
I don't know, people disliked his version of batman, is not deeper than that, they watched it and it didn't click with them.
Like i don't think anyone is saying that Ben Affleck is a bad actor they just say they don't like his version of batman and thats understandable, you can apply that to every version of every character
BvS warehouse scene really sold me on Batfleck. I really wish we could have seen more of him....the solo project that would have been written and directed by Batfleck would have been incredible.
I’m old enough to remember growing up with Adam West and I agree Ben is the best live action Batman to date. Problem is the scripts he was given were terrible.
I think Ben did a good job in BVS, the duality was very interesting in like, one scene, but Bale and Keaton had much more to work with, and were able to flesh out there performance much more, and had much better scripts to work with. Battinson at this time has the worst duality imo, but I expect that will greatly improve in sequels.
I love BATFLECK because to me it always seemed the most realistic looking batman in fights obviously we all know the warehouse fight is 🔥 not to mention his arc is loosely based on TDKR witch I'm a big fan of I just wish we could get a live action batman beyond
Why does this same question keep getting posted? A lot of people, especially here, don't like BvS and therefore will shit on Ben. Other just don't like his performance. A lot of people like Bale and Keaton. Conroy 's evaluation means absolutely nothing to me. That said I like all three
I loved Ben's performance. I view the Snyderverse as an elseworld where things are more grim and gritty, and it doesn't bother me for Batman to kill. I do wish they would've given more reason and explanation behind Batman's fall from grace, or explained that he never had qualms about killing. But even so, I enjoyed every film in the DCEU to some degree, not including the theatrical cut of Justice League.
I think Zack Snyder could've made a fantastic cinematic universe with some better writers working with him. His visual style is great for comic book adaptations. But the stories were missing a little something.
Ben was excellent as Batman and Bruce. My favourite out of all the actors. I don’t understand the hype that Keaton gets? In his movie, Batman was barely present - the villains got all the screen time. Also, Keaton as Batman was a stiff and slow moving dude, nothing like the ass kicking Batman we saw from Batfleck and Battinson.
My beef is just how lackluster the development of his character was, and that was a product of how the DCEU was structured from the start. Ben got dealt a bad hand with his portrayal of the caped crusader.
People are dumb and have different opinions. The real issue is the echo chamber social media has created for stuff like this, like Reddit. It’s a total shit show and if you dare go against the echo chamber, you’re likely to get banned. It’s dumb
fwiw I liked Ben’s Batman a lot
Simply because it’s Ben. But since Keaton he has been my favorite on screen Batman. I also really like Pattinson but feel like his best Batman film will be next.
I have a knee jerk reaction to Affleck. I dislike him, telling on my self here but, he's too pretty, smug, manly, alpha bully to ever tenderly hold me. Which is all I want. Not fair to him, I'll admit it.
Idk man, he looked like he didn’t want to be there on the set of Justice League. Maybe that movie was the straw that broke the camels back for him, but I genuinely think he’s the worst live action Batman of the 2000s and onward
It really has nothing to do with Affleck and everything to do with writing and design.
Bale gets a lot of shit for his voice, but I will take his authentic voice over the stupid voice modulator.
The costume is something I'm not a fan of *because* it is straight from Dark Knight. Because of that, to me, it just doesn't look right. The ears are too small, the colors seem off, and I think a part of it for me is there was no payoff for something that special.
Affleck was also not given a lot to work with here as it was a Batman movie inside of a Superman movie.
Unlike Avengers, where each character had their moments, BvS banked on our prior Batman knowledge, which was Bale. New Batman means new rules and introductions.
We got none of this, just a mass marketing ploy to compete with Marvel
Affleck was a celebrity punching bag for a long time, people still like low hanging fruit. Also, Affleck was exclusively in shitty movies, which is beyond his control, sadly. Personally I think he could've been the best, he just needed scripts that weren't garbage.
Because of personal opinion
And just because my favourite personal batman said Affleck was great doesn't automatically make him the best and great, that's simply Conroy's opinion
it's not like he'd come out and say "my batman was the best" he was a very nice and humble man whenever you see him interviewed and of course he would say nice things about the (then) current Batman, because he was an absolute top bloke
"I see a lot of shitting on Ben" really? I see a ridiculous amount of praise for him and people shitting on Bale a hell of a lot (ever since Pattinson's movie came out, they started shitting on mass on Bales trilogy) and I don't particularly like Affleck in the role but see all these "he's the goat" type posts and posts like these defending him
He was absolutely fantastic at that party scene in BVS pretending to be drunk Bruce Wayne and that's about the only positive memory of his performance (that and the fact every appearance was completely different, so few and far between I think if he actually was a given a few solid movies he could have been a great batman but they just had to try and force this DCEU trying to run before walking)
Because most people on the internet love to hate Snyder's DC movies. There's no really a logical reason for it other than tribal child-like toxic behavior.
Keaton was the first attempt at a serious Batman. So nostalgia. And Bale's Dark Knight is still hotly debated as the best superhero movie of all time. Personally neither of them were that good. I think Ben was a great Batman. But shitty Warner Bros meddling hamstrung him to the point he'd rather not even be involved with Batman anymore. Which is sad because he's really great as Batman.
Regardless of how anyone feels about that movie, I think you will find that a majority of people think that warehouse scene is the best on screen portrayal of Batman in action.
Ooh this will bring the downvotes, but if you want to know the real answer...
It's because A. Ben Affleck has read more Batman than most of the people in this sub, let alone the actors that have portrayed him in the past,
And B. Most people prefer the Batman that was around when they were young.
It’s because Ben’s movies sucked ass. If he had gotten his own stand alone film where he was the only character focused on I think opinions of his Batman would be much different
Keaton was the first serious live action Bats without any camp. He's also 2 completely different people when he's Bruce and Bats. But he also has that middle ground of brooding.
Bale was revered because he looked like a billionaire playboy. Plus he had some cool toys. His gear was also somewhat plausible.
Conroy will always be the best, no matter if he was animated or not.
Affleck got a raw deal because he hit every point that was necessary for a portrayal: he was the right height, build, look, and jawline. But the internet wasn't ready to let go of Bale (arguably not a bad Batman but his Batman voice ABSOLUTELY sucked).
I thought Affleck did a great job and was fitting to be the Batman for an integrated universe.
Ben is maybe my favorite but his writing was crap. Not his fault but he can’t escape it.
He’s has the look of an older Batman and his few action scenes were freaking dope.
Personally the script wasn’t that great, but that’s not really his fault. Honestly, Ben Affleck is my second favorite live action Batman. He used to be my most favorite, but holy crap Robert Pattinson 😍
I think what people disliked was the script Ben was given, not his performance. Ben did really well with what he had and given a good script I think his portrayal would be much more beloved.
Much like Cavill's Clark/Superman, he seemed to do well, but the script and plotting really limited what he could do.
Exactly. It's probably more of a shame he didn't get a good Superman movie.
They made Superman kill. That was like the last rule left unbroken after they brought him back to life. That script was doomed.
My guy, Reeve killed, too. Hell, Superman has killed in the comics, as well. The point of him killing Zod once was to push him to a breaking point which results in him wanting to never kill again.
I could be wrong about this but in the early years of the comics, I believe that he even killed Lois because she was pregnant with his son and he flew her into space?
Silver age Superman was weird...
Instead of aborting the baby he aborts his wife. He really does do everything super huh?
You're thinking of Injustice Superman. Joker got him with some kryptonite-laced fear toxin that made him think Lois was Doomsday. This causes Supes to snap and take over the world. Cool story, but not the main Superman.
>They made Superman kill Ig not-totally-human Zod was just sleeping when Reeves threw him down that hole to his not-death. And he was even laughing about murdering him like a psycho lol
This is the best way to describe it (also fits with Andrew Garfield Spider-Man)
Personally I'm inclined to disagree about Andrew Garfield. By far the best Spider-Man but the worst Peter Parker.
True true it’s not Ben’s performance it’s the movie(s) he was in.
How can I say Affleck was a good Batman when his character is probably closer to Lex Luthor than Batman? This isn't the Star Wars fandom that is going to send death threats. Affleck is an descent actor and quality director. But the movies did him no favors.
It was a 20 year tired veteran Batman, who had 1st hand experience seeing the destruction of Metropolis. That instilled a radical, arguably justifiable hatred/fear towards him, which made him so villainous/misguided. Alfred even commented on it. "Men fall from the sky, the gods hurl thunderbolts, innocents die. That's how it starts, sir. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel."
That sounds like a great Lex Luthor origin story.
Wrong. Lex Luthor turned evil because Superman froze his hair off.
This is definitely a big part. I also think the DCEU is just hated in general so most actors and characters associated with it are going to get some of that hate thrown at them regardless. I really enjoyed Ben's take on the character and would have loved to see more
I often say he was the better batman in the worse movie, and Bale was the other way around. The voice, the fighting styles, the demeanor. The coolest part about Bale's Batman was the tumbler imo.
I thought Bale really killed it in Begins but went a little over the top (especially the voice) in the sequels.
Bale was PERFECT in Begins.
That's kinda how I view it (and I think it might even be the general consensus, not sure.) I really liked Bale's Batman in Begins, and I honestly think it's my favourite of the trilogy, but I think he kinda went overboard in TDK and Rises.
I saw the Dark Knight in theaters without seeing Begins first. I was so taken aback by the voice.
Am I the only person who had no issue at all with the voice? I actually thought it was great in Begins and still pretty good in the rest.
Nah I'm with you, voice never bothered me I think Bale was a great Batman
I'm pretty sure the difference between movies was mostly a post production thing. Bale was still doing the same voice, but they distorted it much more heavily. More interesting was that he was supposedly going to have a voice changer like Affleck's Batman but they scrapped the scene explaining that.
Oh interesting. They really didn't need to do that lol. The voice changer could have worked though.
I swear Nolan is deaf. The sound mixing in most of his movies is atrocious. I liked the vocalizer take. It makes sense for a universe trying to be grounded and sounds a little less ridiculous than straight up growling.
Ha. Yes. A friend of mine went to school for sound engineering and one of his instructors gave everybody an assignment to remix the sound in some scenes from Rises.
And consciously so. Like he fought for Bane’s voice to remain a garbled mess after the prologue was released, and he decided that Tenet sounded fine.
Without the voice, would we have still gotten Lego Batman?
Oh yeah you might be right. Good point.
Lol the coolest part of bales Batman was his supporting cast
I think people actually give Bale more shit than any other Batman nowadays. Except for Clooney, people are generally pretty positive towards all the actors that have played the role.
Honestly I always hated the tumbler. I'm not a fan of a master os stealth driving an outright tank around. At least the one in Arkham Knight looked like a car half the time.
This. I actually loved Ben Affleck as the character, but I'm not a fan of the script all that much. It makes me dislike *his character* but not *him as the character.*
Came to say the same; I never once heard anyone complain about Batfleck
Ben gave a fun and interesting performance, that gala scene in BVS where he meets Clark was great. My problem was the script and direction he was given in those movies
Ben was the only one who played Batman that looked like he could have been Batman. The acting was fine, script sucked but he looked and acted the part better than everyone else.
100% cavil and ben got dogshit scripts but made the best out of it.
Exactly! Ben’s a great actor but I just don’t like films he was in. Therefore his Batman is… just kinda there.
I constantly see people say he played a “dumb,” or “emotionless” Bruce but only showed his true ability in the cowl.
I would definitely disagree with that assessment.
Me too. I loved all of his scenes as Bruce immensely.
Who cares what other people think Like what you like, be proud of it, and use your money toward it Also, most people are morons haha *“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”* - George Carlin
I guess they don't recognize anger, fear, or resentment as emotions. I've also seen a lot of people say he played the best live action Bruce. The Zach Snyder movies and everything about them is an incredibly divisive topic among Batman/comicbook fans. Some people hate them and can see nothing good about them while some people are the exact opposite. A lot of fans I've talked to that don't see this topic as completely black or white thought Ben would have been great had he been given better material.
Because different people have different views and interpretations of what makes Batman Batman.
Pretty sure he universally is sober and doesn't kill people. Two things Zack Snyder threw out the window.
Affleck looks like Bruce Wayne/Batman the most. Bad writing and shitty films ruined what could have been great. Christian Bale is still my favorite because the films have better character development etc. I personally didn’t like Afflecks suit aswell. Too bulky. But that’s just me. To each their own.
Jumping into the DCU with BvS and Justice League was such a horrible idea. There was no setup and almost no development of the heroes. I understand that the need for build is lower than an IP no one is familiar with. But the stakes were almost non existent. The people at DC who make the decisions regarding films really need to take some classes on the importance of world building. I also think we need to stop doing films and instead shift the focus to premium TV formats. Three hour movies are too much. They’re too long for movies and still somehow not able to encapsulate cinematic universe. Move to 6-8 seasons. Ben did a great job and I honestly am disappointed we don’t get to see him as Batman again.
Yeah if they just took out some of the padding it would be perfect. His neck looks so odd in some poses
Bale looked pretty similar to Miller's Year One Batman imo
I thought Affleck's Bat looked quite a bit like Miller's Dark Knight.
That bat is supposed to be 60 years old though, which made the bulk wildly strange.
He’s a super ripped bulky 60 year old in the Dark Knight Returns though
I wasn’t a fan of the suit at first, but then I fell in love with the dark knight returns comic and it came full circle
Was kinda the opposite for me tbh; by the time BvS was announced I was pretty jaded on Miller and TDKR comic, so it was kinda just bad timing I guess.
That’s understandable
i loved the suit, but the bat symbol was weirdly sharp and angular compared to the suit and i always thought it looked weird
People didn’t like this Batman bordering on being the Punisher
That one dude's head against the brick wall with the shipping crate. Le CRUNCH!
I don't like a Batman that kills, simple. That's not Ben's fault, and I liked his acting.
The killing was so excessive too. He was throwing cars at henchmen. A good actor can only do so much with a meh script.
That part where he legit drives through a dude is so fucking funny because of how excessive it is.
Or when he guns down a rolling car til it fucking explodes
I think it would have made more sense for the character and the audience if we saw a flashback of Robin being murdered (or turned into the Joker of that theory is to be believed) instead of watching the Waynes get killed for the 17th time. I believe the idea (which also would have landed better without Doomsday and the Death of Superman being in the same film) was to have Superman return hope to Bruce, bringing him out of the murderous darkness he fell into. "How many good people are left? How many of them stayed good?" (Paraphrased) shows that Batman has been breaking down over time (20 years as Batman) And I cant remember the quote, but Bruce is talking about how nothings changed and they have always been criminals... Alfred remarks that things have absolutely changed. I think the implication is that Batman has only recently started branding and killing people. Also worth noting because it is the #1 meme complaint about the movie. In multiple conversations Bruce talks about how Superman is an alien, and he needs to be stopped etc. They go to great length show that Batman is doing everything he can to completely dehumanize Superman. He knows his name is Kal-El and that other aliens of his species came looking for him and nearly terraformed Earth (likely wiping out all human life if they succeeded.) Its likely that he thinks Clark came as an adult refugee, then quickly caused the deaths of people Bruce is on a first name basis with. When Clark becomes desperate and drops Martha's name (which its odd he didn't say "my mom" but whatever) all of that effort Bruce put in is undermined. His mothers name isn't alien like Kal-El is, and then Lois, who Bruce may recognize, is there clearly knowing Clarks identity and confirms Martha to be his mother. He begins to see Superman not as some otherworldly force imposing his will on the world, but as another man who decided to put on a cape and make his home a better place. Everything he knows about Superman is immedietly restructured, he isn't an enemy but a possible ally with similar goals. Affleck does a great job of showing both shock and a bit of shame. I believe that is the moment that hope returns for him, he doesn't have to work alone anymore.
This is probably the most well thought out and nuanced take on that whole Martha scene I've ever read. Just wanted to point that out and say well done. As someone who enjoys Batfleck and BvS and feeling like I'm in the minority I really appreciated this. Thank you.
Yeah. He was a potentially good Batman ruined by bad writing.
I love this.
Honestly I feel like it would have carried more weight if Batman hadn't been killing people by this point. Cause every human he's killed had a mother, and possibly could have had children. So it feels weird for him to suddenly care all of a sudden that Clark has a mom. And if he was just brutalizing people and not killing them, I think his dehumanizing Clark would have also worked a hell of a lot better. He's so dead set on dehumanizing Clark, because he's never killed another person before. So he tries his damnedest to trick himself into viewing Clark as non human.
Keaton and Bale actually had good movies.
Sick 🔥
I think it's hard for people to remove Affleck's Batman performance from his general image and vibe, at least in the last decade. Because dude has been playing exhausted, depressed, likely alcoholic middle-aged dudes almost non-stop. Argo, Gone Girl, The Town, and even this Bruce Wayne. It doesn't help that this persona is also exactly how he behaves when paparazzi is annoying him, so the general public tends to see this as Ben Affleck *acting like himself*, which is always easy to criticize. To me, Affleck always communicated the feeling that Batman doesn't want to deal with other heroes, they're all just additional variables and require contingencies. He understands this is a hypocritical position, but then, Batman's anti-crime vigilante crusade is inherently hypocritical, so he's doing what he's gotta. If he was in his element in Gotham, maybe he'd behave a little, I dunno, bouncier.
Yeah that's what I always got from his performance as well. He always seemed tired and defeated. And I get that that's kinda the point but it felt so similar to his other roles.
I think it also had to do with Affleck's level of fame. Most of the other Batmen were semi-well-known but not huge stars. Batman is what *made* them stars. Robert Pattinson might have been the most successful coming into the role, but he was kind of hated/dismissed throughout his career because of Twilight. Micheal Keaton was sort of a star (Mr Mom, Gung Ho and Beetlejuice were probably his biggest hits), but even that casting seemed a little quirky, and I think people like that for this character. Affleck comes in and he's already a commodity. Of *course* he gets to play Batman. That's not quite the spirit of The Batmen. The other Batman that people hate? George Clooney.
I just don’t like the fact that he used guns. A brutal beat ‘em to a pulp Batman works fine for one that lost his Robin, but using guns goes against the more modern interpretation of Batman.
"I would never use guns but bombs are ok." -Batman (probably)
Stopping a car by blowing out their tires isn’t the same as shooting it until it’s a smoldering shell.
Ig people disagree with Kevin, as do I. Just cause Kevin has the most beloved performance of Batman, doesn't mean all his opinions on the matter are objectively correct.
Because people generally have their own opinions and make their own inferences I happen to agree with Kevin, but it’s a little silly to expect people who don’t like Ben’s interpretation to change their minds because of him.
Oh dear god here we go again
These guys think if they argue hard enough DC will be like "OK we're bringing back Ben & the Snyder-verse, just please stop holding your breath you are turning blue in the face." All while never realizing how much those movies sucked. SMH
[удалено]
I am banned from commenting there for vehemently disagreeing with them.
I mean, just because someone liked Conroy as Batman, doesn’t make Conroy’s word law. I like Ben as Bruce but his Batman never works for me.
It's because of the creative decisions made by Zack Snyder, like having him kill, the dead Robin being Dick Grayson, him sleeping with Lois, etc.
I don’t think that was gonna end up happening. They had already changed plans by the time they shot JL. Lois’s baby was Clarks in ZSJL.
Batfleck is probably my favorite live-action Batman, but neither BvS nor Justice League is my favorite live-action Batman movie.
Same. I like his rendition but not the movies.
I think that makes sense. I really like ZSJL, but I wouldn’t consider it a Batman movie since he’s one of 6 characters
Had Stan Lee come out and said that Fant4stic was his all time favorite Marvel movie that wouldn’t suddenly make it a good movie.
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Ok, I don't want to be that guy or anything... But Conroy was a human being and like most human beings he has opinions and those opinions could very much be different from literally everyone else's opinions.
I don’t hate Affleck’s Batman. I just don’t want him. I don’t like the actor. I don’t have a lot of respect for him as a person… So I don’t like looking at him as Batman. That’s all there is to it for me. Certainly not enough to compel me to take to the internet and complain about him nonstop as others do.
Because Kevin’s opinion isn’t everyone’s opinion. I think if he was in a single good movie he would’ve been better received
Ben Affleck is just one of those actors where you just see him as Ben Affleck, not his character. That really doesn't work for Bruce/Batman. I think the only other actor that has been like that in the role is George Clooney, and we can all agree that was not the best version of batman lol.
Conroy's opinion isn't fact. A lot of people think Affleck sucked. I would argue the majority didn't like him as Batman.
Because Conroy’s Batman may have been beloved but that didn’t mean his opinion was god’s word in terms of characterisation. Conroy was the voice actor and not the writer.
Cuz affleck was in bad movie Everybody else in good movie
Nobody ever said anything bad about Ben‘s performance. It was all down to the writing & dialogue and that‘s just not good
Affleck gets crap because of the movies he was in. I think if he’d gotten good material, more people would see him the way Conroy did. But that would be a very different universe.
I think Ben was fine as an actor, but thought his character (especially in BvS) was kinda shit
i just don’t like that he kills people
I loved angry Baffleck it just needed an intro movie or show to explain why he’s so angry. The entire shot with the dead Robin suit was a waste without an explainer. Sure us nerds got it but otherwise it seemed jumbled and rushed.
He's a good actor. His performance was alright in a certain interpretation. But the films he was in weren't the best. Other actors were in better batman films and did pretty great too in their performances. He could have potentially been better if the perfect circumstances arose and the wider issues with his films were solved and therefore things matched his ability. But it's a moot point really. No point talking about missed potential.
Yeah I remember how much I hated BvS when it came out. A few years later I rewatched it a bit older and a bit more mature but the director’s cut. Not only a better cut but I completely changed my view of the performance. Just goes to show how, even though enjoyment is subjective, we can be mature in how we complain rather than be as toxic as other fanbases. Complain when it’s appropriate like justice league but appreciate the artist may have had a different vision as well if it in its own right is decent objectively.
People praise Keaton purely out of nostalgia. He wasn't very comic accurate as Bruce, or as Batman. Bale is praised because the trilogy was amazing, and even though that interpretation wasn't very comic accurate, he did an amazing job in the role as Bruce and Batman. Killing aside, bens Batman was amazing. Great suit, dark and brutal Batman, great Bruce Wayne. Pattinson is probably the most comic accurate so far, especially for an early years take.
Can’t wait to see more of Pattinson. The Batman was one of my all-time favorite moviegoing experiences ever.
Same. Such a great movie, and a great performance as the character
I love how The Batman was in part about him going from being "Vengence" to being "Justice". I think the writing and directing set a fantastic stage for it and the Robert Pattinsons performance sold it.
Im convinced people don't like Keaton's Batman, they like Tim Burton's Batman.
Ben affleck suffered from Zack Synder’s poor vision heavily. Wanting a gritty, murderous, borderline alcoholic Batman who swears a ton, and thinks with his fists. His Bruce wayne character was nearly non-existent. The only thing Bruce Wayne does in those movies is the attempted rescue in the battle of metropolis and going too Lex Luthor’s party for information. None of that portrays the duality of Bruce Wayne in my opinion. His Batman is an absolutely despicable maniac, he doesnt represent anything Batman stands for. He kills, he uses guns, he tortures people, he tries too literally kill superman. BVS allegedly was loosely inspired by the Dark Knight returns. In the TDKR Batman does NOT try killing Superman. Their fight had an important purpose, he needed to teach Superman a lesson. He needed too show him what it was like to be mortal, to be injured, too bleed. Batman in BVS wants nothing more than literally impalling clark in the chest with a fucking spear. I dont exactly see the inspiration. I have no doubt in my mind Ben Affleck could have been an amazing Batman. But he never had a chance with Zack Snyder in charge. If Pattinson’s movie had been Affleck’s (not the same story of course but just a Solo Batman movie set in a new timeline) it would have absolutely been the greatest Batman movie ever made. But unfortunately we didnt and will never get that. Batfleck will show up for 10 minutes in The Flash movie just for some sweet sweet toy sales and that will be the last we ever see him.
Very well said. "A despicable maniac" is a good way of putting it - anyone witnessing the aftermath of Batman's Kryptonite theft would conclude that they were the excessive actions of a violent lunatic.
Sadly all of the movies Batfleck was in were terrible so that leaves a bad taste in people's mouth. It is a shame because if we ever got a Batfleck solo film it would have been the best live action Batman hands down.
Ben was so RADICALLY different without any of the pay off showing us the audience why he was the way he was. Keaton got a pass because he was the reintroduction post Adam west for a lot of people but after 1992 (returns) we got batman the animated series and for a lot of kids, myself included it distilled batman to the most basic and easy to understand attributes. 1) Batman DOES NOT KILL. EVER. He would rather risk his own life than take one. He will save people regardless of whether they are friend or foe. 2) he is a loner and considers Bruce Wayne necessary but unimportant. He doesn't consider that facade as his real self hence why Kevin gave him a distinct voice and why bale did the gravelly batman voice. 3) he doesn't use guns. Given that his family and his life was destroyed by a coward with a gun (to the point that all his hallucinations revolve around gunshots and the gun symbolizing his loss of innocence) he would never touch them. 4) despite his anti social and brooding personality he deeply cares for people because he wants to be a force for change that will leave the world better than when he found it. Every life he saves is a chance to save his parents so their families never have to have their hearts broken like he did. Then we have batfleck: 1) kills indiscriminately and brutalized people for what seems like his own amusement. Zach comments that batman kills people which is so untrue and he then doubled down by calling us fing stupid if we thought he didn't. 2) batmans a loner but arguably batman makes less screen time than just batfleck and the voice changer in his cowl while probably easier on his throat is kind of dumb. 3) prominently uses guns in the film 4) wants to kill superman based on what he might do rather than what he has done. Not to mention being a patsy for lex and while he softens in later films he shouldn't have started out so dark in the first place. First impressions are everything and as a HUGE batman fan Batfleck rubbed me the wrong way the minute I saw him try to justify killing superman for a 1% chance
Ben had a lot of potential, but it just got wasted in bad movies with shitty scripts, simple as that.
Because he was saddled with being in lackluster to bad movies.
I liked Ben but hated the movies he was in. I was really looking forward to his own self produced Batman film that never occurred. By the time Justic League was filmed you could tell he wasn’t as into it anymore. I didn’t like BvS but the one aspect I enjoyed was Ben Affleck’s portrayal. Bummed he didn’t get a better script to work with.
The problem wasn't the actors, it was the director and his crap vision. I would happily bring back Cavill and Affleck.
Because the movies themselves are trash. I think ben was great as Bruce, decent as batman. Was kinda hard to lose myself in the character when batman had a batchin lol. Batfleck legit did have an impact on my view of the character and whether or not I could believe it. He was a perfect Wayne though.
Kevin Conroy valued portrayal above script and story, I believe. What he didn't like about Bale was mostly the voice because it made it hard to take Batman seriously in his opinion. And while the script was not helping, it's pretty much universally agreed that Ben Affleck absolutely rocked in his performance as Batman. He was serious, and intimidating. He looked and sound and acted the part to perfection pretty much.
Look it all boils down to this: Affleck was in shitty Batman movies, through no fault of his own. He was a great Batman.
Because he shoots people. With guns. And they die. How do you not understand this?
Bar the killing which in my opinion is bad writing, Ben had nothing to do with that, Ben was my favorite live action Batman. To each their own.
He did well with what he had. Batman V Superman was utter mince (sans the wearhouse scene). His Batman was also underdeveloped because they shoehorned him in. This Batman is older and angry and kills. (Would have been great if I had gotten to see that!) His appearance in Suicide squad was meh (deadshot would have killed him if it wasn’t for his daughter) Justice League was inconsistent with a Bruce acting more like Tony Stark (wonder why) And ZS justice league arrived too little too late. So that’s why
Ben didn't spend long enough in the role to be able to discern any of that. Plus it was a jaded and older Elseworlds Batman on top of that
I’ve always thought Ben was very believable as Batman and did a great job. The fact that DC kinda puts out shitty movies isn’t his fault by a long shot. I could see it being a depressing experience for him honestly so I appreciated his effort.
Surprising. I thought the one thing fans agreed on after BvS was that Ben did a good job despite the doubts and negativity beforehand. It's probably the killing though. Yeah... mowing henchmen down with a hood-mounted machine gun is not a great look.
To be fair, Kevin Conroy also criticized BvS in the very same interview that OP is referring to. “Batman is not a killer. In the most recent live action movie, that seems to have been a line that was crossed and it’s not one I’m particularly comfortable with.”
Love Kevin and think he’s the GOAT but never agreed with this opinion. Never really felt that duality at all really with this interpretation of the character, and honestly think out of the live action actors Bale had the most duality. Actually more than just duality since you had fake Playboy Bruce, real and down to earth Bruce, and raging growling Batman all in the same films. I just never felt that with Affleck. I know I’ll get downvoted for saying this, but I never felt he wasn’t Affleck in a badass batsuit, or Affleck in a nice suit. Just never saw in him what a lot of people seem to see. And overall I just find that Keaton, Bale and Pattinson were just more fun for me to watch in the role and made more interesting and risky choices with the character, which I love with Batman.
I think Kevin was just being nice. Cause I did not see what he sees. I love Kevin but Ben ain’t it he’s not Bruce Wayne. Honestly I think Ben would be perfect as Thomas Wayne. The brutal drunk gun wielding Batman
Ben was a stellar Batman in shitty movies. Ben was NOT the problem. Those movies were a hodge-podge mess of too many stories crammed into too little space. That his performance stood out the way it did was amazing considering all the shit he had to dig himself out of. God damn narrative nightmare.
I love Ben’s Batman, and hot take, I don’t think we’ve had a bad live action Batman.
Gonna disagree with the majority here: Affleck was not a good Batman, and it wasn’t just the script. I found absolutely nothing about his performance interesting or original in the slightest. Totally paint by numbers. While we’re at it, Henry Cavill seems like a great guy, but he’s just not a very good actor and his Superman was completely wooden and charmless. I’m sorry and I look forward to your downvotes.
Think I just hate every one of the films so I find it hard to take his character seriously. Always thought he was massively overhyped. Thought the version of Bruce written for him was just nothing. No appeal, nothing special
Afleck's Batman picked up a gun and shot paratroopers with it. That's the antithesis of what I grew up with from the animated series and then Justice League & Unlimited. That's the writer's fault, not Afleck's. But it does make his version of Batman the shitiest.
So tired of bots asking these same questions every day
The statement that Ben captured the duality of Bruce and batman is simply not true.
To me Ben is perfect as Bruce Wayne and Batman. I think what people seem to overlook is that we are not getting Batman in the early stages. We are getting him 20 years into it. He is beaten down and tired of losing people. He isn't just carrying around the death of his parents. He is carrying around the death of Dick Grayson and other loved ones as well. He seems to be breaking his own principles/rules because they haven't been helping him cope. Edited: I said Jason when it was Dick Grayson. Thanks for the correction Jaguarluffy!
It wasn’t Ben per say, more just the production and writing. I was a fan of the movies storyline, but I thought he was good.
People struggle to separate the acting performance from the movie. IMO Affleck was the best Batman performance, but the Dark Knight was the best movie.
I don't dislike batfleck. I just think the movies that he's in since the beginning as Batman are mid. Maybe the flash will change that but I don't think so with Keaton coming back
I don’t think he was able to paint the whole picture because Batman in the Snyder movies was always a supporting role
He was great as batman
I wrote off Affleck the minute he was cast and I just watched BvS. He’s my favorite Bruce Wayne and that duality that was mentioned is accurate. He’s the only Bruce that has the air of a rich guy, but you can see that tension in him.
He played the experienced, jaded batman very well and his Bruce felt complete. The act and veneer was very practiced and very well set. The script wasn't the best and the outright murderous batman didn't sit well, but I grasped what they were going for. Even if it lacked nuance and felt like it was made that way because Hollywood have convinced themselves viewers can't think or notice things
Hated the suit, the cowl, the guns, his voice and his acting ability.
The movies sucked, not ben’s Batman
 Batfleck is best Affleck
Bale pulling off the public face of Bruce Wayne was always hysterical. Affleck didn’t show that too much.
IMO Ben is a terrible actor and his Bruce Wayne was comically bad. I know some people will disagree, but his performance was so flat. That's only one issue I had with his portrayal.
Ben's performance was fine, as was the duality. I think the interpretation batman himself was not great. Felt nothing like even TDKR batman, he just feels very dense and so narrow-minded he almost seems immature. Him learning that supermans mom has the same name being some emotional watershed moment makes him feel so emotionally naive that it's weird he plays an older Bruce. Batman was written to be dumb in the movie. Nothing that Ben could've controlled
People are sheep
I liked his batman, scarred and without mercy. Been through so much that he even takes lives. But his Bruce Wayne was weak, he should be this typical playboy role that he can put on when needed. Instead we got "I like those shoes" as a woman walks away
It could just be him being nice. After all, Stan Lee said something similar to all the three main live action Spider-Men actors when they were the contemporary Spider-Man, which I’ve seen all three of their fans use as “evidence” as to why their Spider-Man is best one
He’s the hero we didn’t deserve
Bale and Affleck definitely pull off their own respective versions of bruce wayne very well. No offense to Conroy (and R.I.P. 😟) but I feel like Michael Keaton just had the perfect voice for Batman. The mysterious whisper fit the character beautifully. What I do agree with Conroy about is Affleck definitely does fit the batman/bruce wayne character well and I actually really liked Ben in ZSJL. I did NOT, however, like his bat voice as it sounded too robotic, but this is just me. He'd benefit from a stand alone bat film starring him and a good script. Same like how henry cavill was a great choice for superman, its just the BvS script failed Ben and him as actors. With the exception of clooney, I actually like all the batman actors and most of the voice talents in cartoons (minus a few).
I don't know, people disliked his version of batman, is not deeper than that, they watched it and it didn't click with them. Like i don't think anyone is saying that Ben Affleck is a bad actor they just say they don't like his version of batman and thats understandable, you can apply that to every version of every character
Ben and Val were the best Bruce’s I think 🤷🏻♂️
BvS warehouse scene really sold me on Batfleck. I really wish we could have seen more of him....the solo project that would have been written and directed by Batfleck would have been incredible.
Batfleck is onscreen GOAT.
I loved batfleck
I... Don't see it. He acts the same as Bruce and Batman.
I’m old enough to remember growing up with Adam West and I agree Ben is the best live action Batman to date. Problem is the scripts he was given were terrible.
I think Ben did a good job in BVS, the duality was very interesting in like, one scene, but Bale and Keaton had much more to work with, and were able to flesh out there performance much more, and had much better scripts to work with. Battinson at this time has the worst duality imo, but I expect that will greatly improve in sequels.
I thought Ben was a terrible Bruce Wayne. It felt like he was just phoning it in.
IMO he was the best Batman
I love BATFLECK because to me it always seemed the most realistic looking batman in fights obviously we all know the warehouse fight is 🔥 not to mention his arc is loosely based on TDKR witch I'm a big fan of I just wish we could get a live action batman beyond
Unpopular opinion: Ben Affleck as Batman was cast better than Henry Cavill as superman. i love Henry but i just don’t see him as superman
Why does this same question keep getting posted? A lot of people, especially here, don't like BvS and therefore will shit on Ben. Other just don't like his performance. A lot of people like Bale and Keaton. Conroy 's evaluation means absolutely nothing to me. That said I like all three
I loved Ben's performance. I view the Snyderverse as an elseworld where things are more grim and gritty, and it doesn't bother me for Batman to kill. I do wish they would've given more reason and explanation behind Batman's fall from grace, or explained that he never had qualms about killing. But even so, I enjoyed every film in the DCEU to some degree, not including the theatrical cut of Justice League. I think Zack Snyder could've made a fantastic cinematic universe with some better writers working with him. His visual style is great for comic book adaptations. But the stories were missing a little something.
Ben was excellent as Batman and Bruce. My favourite out of all the actors. I don’t understand the hype that Keaton gets? In his movie, Batman was barely present - the villains got all the screen time. Also, Keaton as Batman was a stiff and slow moving dude, nothing like the ass kicking Batman we saw from Batfleck and Battinson.
Ben was a great Batman. I didn’t think I was gonna like him but I was pleasantly surprised. I think Clooney was the worst (for the sake of reference)
Haters gonna hate 🤷🏾♂️ 
Don't get it twisted. People shitted on Keaton as well back in the 80s. So, that just proves that toxic fans have always been around.
My beef is just how lackluster the development of his character was, and that was a product of how the DCEU was structured from the start. Ben got dealt a bad hand with his portrayal of the caped crusader.
Bc people jumped on the hate train, it was unpopular to say Affleck wasn't shit. He isn't my fav but I did like aspects of his portrayal
People are dumb and have different opinions. The real issue is the echo chamber social media has created for stuff like this, like Reddit. It’s a total shit show and if you dare go against the echo chamber, you’re likely to get banned. It’s dumb fwiw I liked Ben’s Batman a lot
Simply because it’s Ben. But since Keaton he has been my favorite on screen Batman. I also really like Pattinson but feel like his best Batman film will be next.
Absolutey false. Sorry Kevin, you’re wrong on this one buddy.
Every DC sub fails the "go one day without talking about the Zack Snyder movies challenge" on a daily basis
I have a knee jerk reaction to Affleck. I dislike him, telling on my self here but, he's too pretty, smug, manly, alpha bully to ever tenderly hold me. Which is all I want. Not fair to him, I'll admit it.
Idk man, he looked like he didn’t want to be there on the set of Justice League. Maybe that movie was the straw that broke the camels back for him, but I genuinely think he’s the worst live action Batman of the 2000s and onward
It really has nothing to do with Affleck and everything to do with writing and design. Bale gets a lot of shit for his voice, but I will take his authentic voice over the stupid voice modulator. The costume is something I'm not a fan of *because* it is straight from Dark Knight. Because of that, to me, it just doesn't look right. The ears are too small, the colors seem off, and I think a part of it for me is there was no payoff for something that special. Affleck was also not given a lot to work with here as it was a Batman movie inside of a Superman movie. Unlike Avengers, where each character had their moments, BvS banked on our prior Batman knowledge, which was Bale. New Batman means new rules and introductions. We got none of this, just a mass marketing ploy to compete with Marvel
Because Ben wasn't in any good movies and phoned it in after BvS
Affleck was a celebrity punching bag for a long time, people still like low hanging fruit. Also, Affleck was exclusively in shitty movies, which is beyond his control, sadly. Personally I think he could've been the best, he just needed scripts that weren't garbage.
Because of personal opinion And just because my favourite personal batman said Affleck was great doesn't automatically make him the best and great, that's simply Conroy's opinion it's not like he'd come out and say "my batman was the best" he was a very nice and humble man whenever you see him interviewed and of course he would say nice things about the (then) current Batman, because he was an absolute top bloke "I see a lot of shitting on Ben" really? I see a ridiculous amount of praise for him and people shitting on Bale a hell of a lot (ever since Pattinson's movie came out, they started shitting on mass on Bales trilogy) and I don't particularly like Affleck in the role but see all these "he's the goat" type posts and posts like these defending him He was absolutely fantastic at that party scene in BVS pretending to be drunk Bruce Wayne and that's about the only positive memory of his performance (that and the fact every appearance was completely different, so few and far between I think if he actually was a given a few solid movies he could have been a great batman but they just had to try and force this DCEU trying to run before walking)
Because most people on the internet love to hate Snyder's DC movies. There's no really a logical reason for it other than tribal child-like toxic behavior.
Keaton was the first attempt at a serious Batman. So nostalgia. And Bale's Dark Knight is still hotly debated as the best superhero movie of all time. Personally neither of them were that good. I think Ben was a great Batman. But shitty Warner Bros meddling hamstrung him to the point he'd rather not even be involved with Batman anymore. Which is sad because he's really great as Batman.
Regardless of how anyone feels about that movie, I think you will find that a majority of people think that warehouse scene is the best on screen portrayal of Batman in action.
Because we are not Kevin Conroy. How do you think opinions work?
Ooh this will bring the downvotes, but if you want to know the real answer... It's because A. Ben Affleck has read more Batman than most of the people in this sub, let alone the actors that have portrayed him in the past, And B. Most people prefer the Batman that was around when they were young.
It’s because Ben’s movies sucked ass. If he had gotten his own stand alone film where he was the only character focused on I think opinions of his Batman would be much different
Keaton was the first serious live action Bats without any camp. He's also 2 completely different people when he's Bruce and Bats. But he also has that middle ground of brooding. Bale was revered because he looked like a billionaire playboy. Plus he had some cool toys. His gear was also somewhat plausible. Conroy will always be the best, no matter if he was animated or not. Affleck got a raw deal because he hit every point that was necessary for a portrayal: he was the right height, build, look, and jawline. But the internet wasn't ready to let go of Bale (arguably not a bad Batman but his Batman voice ABSOLUTELY sucked). I thought Affleck did a great job and was fitting to be the Batman for an integrated universe.
Ben is maybe my favorite but his writing was crap. Not his fault but he can’t escape it. He’s has the look of an older Batman and his few action scenes were freaking dope.
Because Affleck is a mediocre actor who is far more celebrity than thespian. Plus he was never a standalone Batman, and his costume was awful.
Personally the script wasn’t that great, but that’s not really his fault. Honestly, Ben Affleck is my second favorite live action Batman. He used to be my most favorite, but holy crap Robert Pattinson 😍
Honestly, some people just don’t like Ben Affleck in general
Because the Batman movies he's been in are rubbish