Well, fanboys and fangirls, we have our Batman, Ben Affleck.
The casting could have been worse. Much worse, in fact, considering some of the names being bantered around out there. Josh Brolin (awkward since his ex-wife Diane Lane plays Superman's mother); Ryan Gosling (more Barry Allen than Bruce Wayne); Jeffrey Dean Morgan (my pick to replace Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man); Joe Mangiello (too gruff to play Bruce Wayne).
Maybe they should have gone with a lesser known actor like Henry Cavill or an unknown actor for the role. Then again, when Hollywood does that, they usually cast British or Australian actors, and wasn't the complain a couple years ago when Cavill was cast as Superman that all these actors from across the Atlantic where being cast as iconic American superheroes? (My favorite counterpoint is how Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Sherlock Holmes). Perhaps by using a lesser known or unknown actor they wouldn't have to worry about locking in multi-picture deals or renegotiating for ridiculous amounts after the contract is up for renewal.
Honestly, in the history of the BATMAN film franchise, the casting of Batman / Bruce Wayne has never been met with resounding approval or joy. I remember how outraged and confused people were when Tim Burton cast Michael Keaton, who was best known as a comedic actor. We were all urged to watch Keaton in CLEAN AND SOBER to be convinced he was the proper choice. Keaton pulled it off, and when he left after Joel Schumacher took over, there was disappointment.
However, we were appeased when Val Kilmer, fresh off TOMBSTONE, landed the role, but he became the George Lazenby of the franchise.
Then George Clooney was cast in the cowl, and we were okay with that because Clooney was the epitome of "cool" at the time thanks to ER and proved himself in THE PEACEMAKER. However, both he and Arnold Schwarzenegger put the BATMAN franchise in a coffin.
Six years later, we were intrigued that the franchise was being rebooted with Christian Bale as The Dark Knight, and as with Kilmer, we felt he could pull off the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman. However, interestingly, in the last few years, there seems to be a backlash against Bale.
How fickle an audience we are!
To be honest, I thought they should bring Bale back. Enough with this Christopher Nolan's-Gotham-doesn't-fit-with-Zach Snyder's- Metropolis bunk! Batman and Superman are from the same comic book universe. It would have been a natural progression into the development of the larger DC Universe considering how both THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and MAN OF STEEL ended (see my idea for how to make JUSTICE LEAGUE in a previous note). Bale was a great Batman. Say what you will of his imitation of Clint Eastwood's voice. Bale had the acting talent and physicality to be Batman - even more than his predecessors.
It's bad enough we have to see the Marvel Universe scattered throughout Hollywood with Spider-Man being at Sony and the X-Men and Fantastic Four at Fox and both being unable to interact with all their colleagues and counterparts owned by Disney. Because of the high cost of character rights, we may never see Spider-Man and Wolverine be Avengers even though they are members in the comics, and who knows what the fate is of The Sub-Mariner since he's tied to the FF, the Avengers, and the X-Men. We're being forced to accept two versions of Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver in Fox's X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST coming out next summer and the planned AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.
The casting of Affleck continues the questions we all first have whenever an actor is cast as a superhero. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark??? Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker??? Who is this Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine or Eric Bana playing Bruce Banner or Andrew Garfield taking over as Spider-Man??? As for Affleck already portraying Daredevil, didn't Chris Evans play both the Human Torch and Captain America -- and they're in the same comic book universe!!!! I was waiting for the Easter Egg at the end of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER to be the discovery of Chris Evans frozen and de-iced, Agent Coulson radioing Nick Fury, "We found him," Evans opening his eyes, shouting, "Flame on!", melting through the hull, and flying away, to which Coulson would say, " I think we found the wrong guy."
So now Affleck is Batman in the anticipated BATMAN/SUPERMAN flick, and now we'll be wondering what this adaptation will be. Is this going to be a WORLD'S FINEST story in which the two become friends? are we going to be treated more to John Byrne interpretation of the first meeting between the two iconic characters in his 1980s limited series THE MAN OF STEEL? Or is this going to be loosely adapted from the conflict between Bruce and Clark in the classic graphic novel THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS?
More importantly, what is the future of the BATMAN franchise? You now have a movie star playing the role who is 41 (actually, RDJ was in his forties when he was cast as Tony Stark). He's not getting any younger. How many Batman movies can he make?
It depends on how the next series of BATMAN movies unfolds.
I've heard rumors and rumblings of adapting the BATMAN: ARKHAM video games into the next series of the franchise, and I think this is the wrong way to go. It works as a video game, and there's a good reason for that. As a player of the game, YOU control the story and how it unfolds. This is why video game movies fail horribly. The control is taken out of your hands and placed in the hands of the director or screenwriter. Visually, BATMAN: ARKHAM is fantastic, but the story can't hold up as a movie.
There's also been talk about making a live action BATMAN BEYOND. I have to admit I don't know much about this storyline because it was a cartoon when I was an adult, and ... well ... I have too many adult responsibilities as a husband and parent who needs to work to support my family to sit around watching cartoons on Saturday morning. There is a fan base for this, but is there enough to make this the next step in the BATMAN franchise? I would have to say no.
Whatever they do with the next series in the franchise, it has to be dynamically different from what has come before it. Don't try to redo Burton's Gothic themes, please don't emulate Schumacher's campiness, and don't even attempt to continue Nolan's vision. Go forward in a new direction. Don't give us the origin again. We've seen it three different times (counting the brief montage in BATMAN, the flashbacks in BATMAN FOREVER, and the full story in BATMAN BEGINS)! Start the new franchise with Batman already being established, and go deeper into an area no one has yet explored.
Focus on Batman's sidekicks.
I know what you're thinking. We've been down this route already with BATMAN FOREVER and BATMAN AND ROBIN, and both failed miserably. The conundrum with Robin is what to do with this character because of how he's been portrayed over the last seventy-five years, the wisecracking little boy in green Speedos, the "Holy" puns of Burt Ward, and the droll portrayal of Chris O'Donnell. However, the character of Dick Grayson in the comics is one of the coolest in the superhero genre. Most readers are more familiar with him as Nightwing than as Robin.
Plus, he hasn't been the only Robin - or the only sidekick.
There have been six Robins actually - Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, and Carrie Kelly - and each has their own distinct personality and followed their own fate.
Then there are the affiliated characters - the Batgirls Betty Kane, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown; the Batwomen of Kathy Kane and Kate Kane; the Huntess, who is Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Earth 2 Batman (don't ask) and / or Helena Bertinelli.
Batman is known for his sidekicks. Each one has had their own individual impact on Batman, affecting and evolving the character throughout the years.
That's what the next BATMAN film series should be about - the sidekicks, their story, and how their fates affect Batman.
Here's my vision of what the next BATMAN film series could be.
BATMAN AND ROBIN: Tell the story of Dick Grayson loosely adapted from Frank Miller's ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER, which is a gritty tale about how Batman trains orphaned Dick Grayson to turn his sadness into a passion for justice and revenge, or the story about how Dick Grayson became Robin in the New 52 series. The villain could be any of Batman's rogues.
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE: Batman takes another sidekick - Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Both she and Dick Grayson fall for each other. The story adaptation is THE KILLING JOKE with The Joker shooting her in the spine and paralyzing her. Grayson decides to extract his revenge on The Joker. Batman says no more sidekicks. Grayson adopts the identity of Nightwing. Barbara Gordon becomes Oracle.
BATMAN: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY: Batman meets a street punk named Jason Todd whom he thinks he can train to become the new Robin. He has more of an edge than Grayson. Oracle has concerns about the new Robin and his demeanor and contacts Nightwing to check him out. Nightwing confronts the new Robin as well as Batman. As it turns out, Todd was a plant by The Joker to disrupt the Batman and Robin relationship. Todd sacrifices himself by taking a bullet for Batman. Nightwing stops Batman from killing The Joker. Batman swears no more sidekicks.
ROBINS or UNDER THE RED HOOD: Batman is much darker and more violent. There's also a violent vigilante on the loose called The Red Hood. Tim Drake figures out who The Red Hood is - Jason Todd. He hacks Bruce Wayne's computer system only to be caught by Oracle. Drake asks to be put in touch with Batman, but Oracle connects him with Nightwing instead. They investigate The Red Hood and discover it is Jason Todd. Batman, Nightwing, and Drake confront Todd, and Drake becomes Batman's new sidekick, Red Robin.
SON OF BATMAN: Batman learns he fathered a son, Damian, with a former lover, Talia Al-Guhl, the daughter of Ra's Al-Guhl, his mentor. Damian has been trained by the League of Shadows, and he seeks out his father. Damian challenges Red Robin to become the new sidekick of Batman. In the end, Batman and son become the new Batman and Robin.
BATMAN, INC.: Bruce Wayne decides to take his crimefighting international and funds costumed vigilantes around the world. He takes on Ra's, Talia, and the League of Shadows to stop their terrorist threats and attacks. In the end, Damian Wayne is killed by his mother protecting his father. Bruce Wayne folds Batman, Inc. and hangs up the cowl for good.
And now the kicker...
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: Adapt the Frank Miller series about an older Batman who lives in a dystopian society and takes on a new Robin, Carrie Kelly. By the time this series reaches, if Affleck is contracted for all these films, he will be old enough to play the elder Bruce Wayne.
Or...
BATMAN BEYOND: Now adapt the cartoon as it is.
Thoughts?