Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman!
The big news last night was how Ben Affleck has been given the role of Batman for the Man of Steel sequel. I think this was a fitting decision by DC Comics and look forward to more decisions like this in the future. I love when a company proves it can be consistent.
Ben Affleck as Batman proves consistency at DC Comics
Super Hype / Delivery
Ever since the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con International, Batman/Superman has been lauded as the greatest movie endeavor DC Comics has ever undertaken. Fans wondered if the movie could end up rivaling The Avengers and the billion dollar take the first movie had. Delivering us Ben Affleck after all of this hype is consistent to current practice at DC Comics. It is very reminiscent of how the 3D covers were hyped earlier this year and then we were told that there were not going to be enough to equate to supply and demand. In the end, we have a limited number of happy collectors and Ben Affleck as Batman.
Research
I would have expected DC Comics and Warner Bros. to consider all of the past superhero movies made over the years while casting for the Man of Steel sequel. I would have expected them to see how certain roles were cast and how those castings impacted the market. I would have expected them to know what everyone else in the comic book industry knows – Affleck was in Daredevil and the movie is one of the worst superhero movies in the last thirty years.
Now, DC Comics has passed the blame for the lack of 3D Villain Month covers onto the printer by stating that there were not enough materials for the job. Sounds like a lack of research to me. At least they are consistent with not doing the proper research. In the end, we don’t have enough 3D Villain Month covers and Ben Affleck as Batman.
Reception
Yes, there are some running to the side of DC Comics in the “Ben Affleck as Batman” debate raging across the world, but the general consensus I saw across the comic book industry is shock and outrage among the DC Comics/Batman fans and elation among those who do not like the company. This is the same consensus which came out when the Villain Month allocation was announced. Consistency!
Don’t Get Me Wrong
I do not believe Ben Affleck as a bad actor. Granted, he was in Daredevil, Gigli, Armageddon, and Jersey Girl, but he has also given great performances and given us some memorable characters. At the same time, I still see DC Comics winning in market share and dollar share in the industry during the September War. Where the consistency comes into play is that DC Comics could have done so much better if certain steps were taken. DC Comics continues to settle for “on the mountain” instead of “the top of the mountain.” I look forward to more decisions like this because I have already been prepping my “Image Bumps DC Comics Out of Top 2 in Market Share” article to come out sometime in the future. In the end, we have a poor delivery on Villain Month and Ben Affleck as Batman.
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