The casting of 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" has been one of the most talked-about topics in Hollywood for well over a year now. Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman in the sequel to "Man of Steel." |
Toward the end of a
wide-ranging conversation with EW about his starring role in Gone
Girl—director David Fincher's adaptation of the bestselling 2012 crime
thriller that's spotlighted in an exclusive cover story in this week's
issue—Affleck opened up about another project that Twitter has been
chattering about ever since his involvement with it was announced last
August: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The Oscar-winning director-star has both a sense of perspective and humor about the most recent meme to hybridize his name.
Briefly on hiatus from
filming the mega-budget superhero action flick in Detroit to attend San
Diego's Comic-Con International—where Affleck stunned the crowd,
appearing alongside co-star Henry Cavill and director Zack Snyder to
debut footage from Batman v. Superman but giving no interviews—Affleck
appeared to have packed on pounds of muscle in the service of portraying
a decidedly un-Bale-like kind of Batman/Bruce Wayne. That is, one in
his mid-forties, his hair flecked with grey.
He remained tight-lipped
about the particulars of the 3D follow-up to Snyder's Man of Steel
that's set to reach theaters in March 2016, part of a DC cinematic
universe that will also eventually include a Justice League movie. But
for the first time, Affleck addressed certain issues—in particular, the
fan freak-out surrounding his casting— about which he's until now
remained resolutely silent.
So what it's like to portray Batman?
Ben Affleck: 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." I want you to know I worked equally hard at both!
[laughs]
It feels slightly
ridiculous using the word "outcry" describing your casting. But there
was actual outcry—a lot of people freaked when they heard about
Batfleck. To what extent did all that get under your skin?
Affleck: Before I took
the role, Warner Bros. gave me a bunch of past reactions to casting and
said, "Are you sure you want to get into this? This is part and parcel
of these movies now. There's a lot of active fans with a lot of
opinions." To me, having been through a certain amount of that, it
doesn't really... Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I wouldn't have
taken the part if I didn't trust my instincts in terms of the
filmmaking.
I think Chris Terrio wrote a terrific script. Zack's a great
visual director. And there's an interesting take. I wouldn't have done
it if I didn't think I could do it. I have the benefit of a lot of that
understanding. But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's a
big part of this international sport. The Fifty Shades of Grey kid or
whatever it is. That's sort of become a thing.
Fans feel like their vote counts.
Affleck: 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.
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