Over in the UK, Ben Affleck sat down with the Sunday Times to talk a little about playing the Dark Knight in the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Oddly enough, Affleck hopes that the by becoming Batman, it’ll give him more perspective into developing his smaller indie movies.
You’re always thinking about the momentum you’re trying to build in your career. There are dual thought processes – on the one hand, you’re going, ‘What’s interesting to me?’ On the other hand, you’re thinking, ‘How do I give myself the opportunity to do those things?’ And that calculus, I think, consciously or subconsciously, is part of any career though process. That terror when I’m about to start something can be motivating, It helps me kick my ass into gear, because I think, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna ruin the movie, I’m gonna not know what to do.’ That’s definitely a good, driving factor for me. My theory is that once you lose that, you’re kind of going downhill.
When the casting reveal that Ben Affleck of all people was cast as the Dark Knight for the follow up to Man of Steel, the internet had a collected gasp, followed by a moment of silent that was broken by the hurried and furious typing of a million fans crying out ‘Not my Batman’ on various forums. Could the guy from Jersey Girl really do justice to the role of the Caped Crusader? Was this movie a guaranteed train wreck right out the gate because of what many people felt was horrible miscasting? What did Ben Affleck have to think about this, presumably hoping that his movie cred from such movies as Phantoms, Gigli, Reindeer Games, and Pearl Harbor would help ease the transition into the role of the Batman. Well, like the times he got all that hate for being in those movies, Ben Affleck doesn’t care much and has better things to do.
I don’t worry too much about what other people say about me versus my own ideas and standards, what I’d like to do. Particularly given that when I set out, in 2002 or so, to be a director, if I had listened to all the things people said about whether or not I’d be successful and what kind of movies I’d make, I never would have done it. It was a really good lesson in self-determination and trusting my instincts.
While some might question Mr. Affleck’s instincts on movie choices prior to Argo, he has a point. Plenty of times the odd choice for a role has made it all that much more wonderful. Michael Keaton as Batman is one, and Heath Ledger as The Joker is another. Sometimes an unexpected choice is the best choice, that adds the most to the role. Speaking of which, Affleck promises to bring a lot of his own emotions to the character, and how he’ll play this particular iteration of the Dark Knight. What he promises to bring to the character is simply put; rage.
I think it’s a necessity, historically, in the tradition of these films, For me, anger is so deeply buried and contained that when it does kind of come out, it comes out in stronger bursts. I tend to be respectful, polite, get along, put up with, put up with, put up with… then, when it finally emerges, it’s not something I have a ton of control over. I’m not gonna go into a Wolverine berserker rage, but I do have a, I do… that is an interesting thing that you point out. That’s my personality.
Anger is an important part of the character, some would say one of the most, in that Bruce Wayne’s anger is what drives him to be the Batman, more so than grief. Hopefully we’ll catch more glimses of what the new Batman is like as we draw closer to the film’s release, March 16th, 2016.
Source: Sunday Times via Flickeringmyth.com
