“If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody else!”
[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]t least that’s what Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice producer Charles Roven said to actor Ben Affleck.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Stephen Galloway for The Hollywood Masters series at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, Charles Roven explained that the brain trust behind Batman v Superman had always considered Ben Affleck to be the first choice to play Bruce Wayne in the film, and he was the first actor to be approached with an offer for the role.
Roven explained the reasoning behind the initially controversial casting choice:
[dropcap size=small]“[/dropcap]He was the first guy we went to. That’s who we wanted. We knew that we wanted a very mature Batman, because we wanted to juxtapose him with this very young Superman. So we wanted a guy who was tougher, rugged, who had signs of life, who had lived a hard life, and we wanted the guy to have chops, for sure. So when we went down that list, there just weren’t a tremendous number of guys who could carry that.”
Another interesting reason for Affleck’s selection was because of the actor’s stature. Roven added that they wanted an actor who was much taller than Henry Cavill’s 6’1″ Superman. Affleck, who is 6’4″, would add a dynamic that Superman would have to ‘look up’ to Batman.
Roven also explained how former Batman director Christopher Nolan and his wife, producer Emma Thomas, had an advisory role on the latest interpretation of the Dark Knight. While busy with other projects, the pair was still certainly involved with different stages of the film’s production, and even had involvement in casting Ben Affleck as the new Batman. Both Nolan and Thomas are serving as executive producers on Batman v Superman.
According to Roven, the latest iteration of Bruce Wayne and Batman will be “completely different”:
[dropcap size=small]“[/dropcap]He’s much more of a social animal in the Bruce Wayne incarnation, but he’s also an extremely rough guy in the Batman incarnation — very, very, very rough,”
Reportedly, director Zack Snyder was the first person to reach out to Ben Affleck about taking on the part. Roven went on to say that there was no hesitation on Affleck’s behalf; however, he made efforts to completely understand what Snyder was looking for in the depiction and interpretation of the iconic character.
What are your feelings about Ben Affleck in donning the Batman cowl? Let us know in the comments below.
Rationalize it, explain the choice in-depth with the most minute details, and I will still never understand it.