Affleck will smash it.
Can see him playing the character the same way he did in Argo, world weary, but with steely determination and a huge pair of bollocks.
He belongs in comic book films, he looks like he was drawn by Steve Dillon.
Kind of came on here to say this. Anyone who thinks he can't play the Batman, should go and rewatch Argo; his die-hard character in that film, shows that he can play a stern, bold and relatively three dimensional character. What this is all about is how well you can portray different physiological and psychological states. The thing that Keaton did well was, was the split persona that he had; Kilmer didn't, Clooney certainly didn't but Bale did it fairly well. (But not as good as Keaton in my opinion).
Keaton employed his comedy/theatre roots in the role, and if you watch his mirrored portrayl of Batman/BW, you can see how well he has crafted each individual character, and fused them into an almost Jeckyll and Hyde, Vaudevillian type character.
I could talk at length as to why Ben Affleck is a great choice as Batman, he was in the running before Bale, and I can see why they did choose him. As I have said, watch Argo, watch how his character shifts in dimensions from one-to-another and you can see why he has been chosen. Watch Paycheck, and see how well he took the role on in that film, see how he struggles with the dynamism of his characters needs and wants. Watch Hollywoodland, see how he plays the suave, yet alternatively troubled George Reeves, who was the first Superman (Funnily Enough). Watch him portray Jack Ryan in Sum of All Fears, a cruelly underrated film at best...
I can't even begin to express how much Ben Affleck's career has almost certainly led up to this, (Even if it has been a rickety one).
And as for him being the Hollywood choice, he really isn't a Hollywood choice. He isn't a product of Hollywood and is most definitely on the fringes of Hollywood at best. When you talk about a Hollywood actor, you are essentially talking about the likes of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise (to an extent), Arnie (of old), Robert Downey Jr, Adam Sandler, Di Caprio (again, he is debatable of late), Wahlberg could even be said as being Hollywood, Channing Tatum and The Rock are even climbing the upper echleons of "Leading Hollywood Stars". But essentially, the Hollywood choice would have been a leading man, who has the ability to actually plau a Leading Man. Someone who they can market along with the film, someone whose face can go on the front cover of a DVD.
Affleck hasn't really been that Hollywood leading man. Sure, he has been in leading roles in films, and he's been in a few blockbusters like Pearl Harbour and The Sum of All Fears (Which see's him take on another fairly big character in Jack Ryan). But his form, with regards to "Hollywood", has been rickety at best. His finest performances could be said to have been in moderately financed indie films, like Dogma, Argo, Chasing Amy and thingio.
I think he is a very, very good choice indeed. He's a very safe choice and it makes good, sound sense to me. Still though, I do wonder why he has accepted the role, because he is successfully carving himself out a career as an allround indie director/actor. (and doing a bloody good job about it too).
It does make me wonder, it makes me wonder a lot as to why he would choose the role. I mean, who wouldn't accept the role of Batman, I know I would. But with playing in Daredevil, and getting slated for his portrayal;
then going on the path that he has, it almost feels a bit like a back step,
in one sense or another. Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how Affleck will take on the role, even more than I was...
apprehensive about Bale's portrayal. I think he has seriously matured over the past decade, and he has managed to shake off that poster boy image that he so easily slipped into in the late 90's. Anyone who has hang-up's about him as a person, look at some of the charity work that he has done. Also you might want to see the THR Directors panel from last year, he seems like a nice, down-to-earth bloke, just happy to be doing what he is doing.
Good fucking luck to him, I hope he wipes the frown off all the "Batman Fans", crying into their Comic Books and snuggling up to their Batman emblazoned pillow.
I hope he gets his mate, Matt Damon on board to play the Joker. Now that would be an excellent little coup.