10 years ago, Academy Award winning actor and screenwriter Ben Affleck was in a bit of a career lull after starring in a series of box office bombs. He also was in a relationship with Jennifer Lopez, and the two were soon dubbed "Bennifer" by the press.
Years later, sans Lopez, Affleck became an accomplished director and his acting has improved greatly from his early days. Then the news broke that Affleck was stepping into the cowl to be the next Caped Crusader of Gotham City in "Batman v. Superman."
To say it was a big deal is an understatement, and before long the word "Batfleck" permeated pop culture all over the world. Affleck recently made an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con to promote the "Batman v. Superman" movie that is still two years away. Director Zack Snyder and Superman himself, Henry Cavill, were also in tow at the Con while on a break from filming the blockbuster.
Although he did not say much, Affleck did spill a bit about the film that will be a precursor to the even bigger "Justice League" movie being released a good four to five years from now. When Entertainment Weekly asked about what it is like to portray Batman.
"I'm right in the middle of shooting now. It's a process that I'll probably have better perspective on when I'm done. I can tell you that every time I do a role, it's the responsibility of an actor to get their physical self as close to the role as possible. And Batman's obviously got a set of expectations that are tough. So I spent a lot of time working out. And it's a far cry from 'Gone Girl' where my character is described as 'puffy and hungover," says Affleck.
When the geek universe got wind that Affleck would be playing the Dark Knight, it sent ripples throughout the world of fanboys and girls. But the Oscar winner seems to have taken it in stride, despite the ire of some Batman purists that did not think Affleck was the right man for the job.
"You know what? It's great that people do care that much. They want to see the movie that much. And it is incumbent on you to honor the story. There are the Greek myths and these are the American myths. The American myths are these superheroes. People care about 'em a lot. And it's incumbent on you to do a good job and make it as excellent as you possibly can. At the end of the day, the movie's all that matters," adds Affleck.
The world will see if Affleck can pull it off when "Batman v. Superman" hits theaters on March 25, 2016.
