First Official Photo Reveals Ben Affleck as Batman
George Huertas ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Affleck’s impressive new physique is highlighted by the suit, which draws some obvious inspiration from Frank Miller’s interpretation of the costume. That work, of course, is The Dark Knight Returns, which Snyder noted as a point of reference during last year’s Comic-Con.
Probably more impressive than Affleck’s physique and the Batsuit, however, has been the reception by fans. Across the board, reception has been positive. On JoBlo.com, 96% of comments are positive. On Slashfilm, one of the highest rated comments simply states, “Wow, I’m impressed!”
But the most notable piece of this news is the design of the Batsuit itself. Part of the brilliance of The Dark Knight Trilogy was director Christopher Nolan’s reverence to style, which all adhered to a gritty, serious tone. And the films’ Batsuit reflected this. Even in the early production stages of The Dark Knight, fans were praising Nolan’s suit up and down. Any designs in the future would have been an uphill battle to not only distinguish itself, but look, in a word, cool.
If we can only judge from one image, it looks as if Snyder and Co. have succeeded. They have managed to establish that while their Batman may bear more semblance towards the comic book universe’s Batman than the realistic Batman that Nolan created, their Batman can still be a badass. And, at the very least, Affleck has proven that he at least looks the part.
All in all, at least one facet of the film has proven successful. Now, with two years to go until its release, we have to wait and see if the final product can overcome anuphill battle: fulfilling expectations for the first big-screen crossover between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel.