Superhero movies: 25 best superhero movie performances of the decade
By Mark Lynch
18. Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Superhero Movies: Batman V Superman, Justice League
It doesn’t matter who plays Batman, they’re going to be criticized. It didn’t matter if it was Michael Keaton, Christian Bale or George Clooney — OK, that last one was justified. Now, enter Ben Affleck, an actor who’s received more criticism than almost anyone. No one believed in him. Well, how do you like them apples? Affleck killed it.
Unlike some of the other actors who have played the character, Affleck was great as both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight. There’s a scene where Wonder Woman and Bruce were at a party and Affleck did a fantastic job playing the oblivious playboy and then switching to the guy looking for information.
Not seeing Affleck as Batman in a solo Batman movie is disappointing as his franchise could have been one of the best. We were going to get a Batman that may have been more raw than Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Look at the things Batman did to Luthor’s goons. Batman was brutal. He took them apart without impunity. You could feel every blow he dished out. Some of them were certainly killed. At the very least they were crippled.
This Bruce Wayne had another quality that some of the others didn’t. He was a detective. That’s a huge part of what makes Batman the dominant force that he is. Everything about him was what people wanted Batman. Especially an older Batman. Playing a regular guy who’s taken a lot of punishment as Batman over the years and it took a toll on him. People can say whatever they like about Justice League and Batman V Superman, but Affleck rocked.