Ben Affleck and Zack Snyder talk their “old, broken, and f**ked up” Batman

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

From what we've seen so far, Ben Affleck will be giving us a Batman/Bruce Wayne unlike any of his predecessors; however when Ben Affleck was first offered the role of Batman in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE he initially thought that he would not be the right fit for the role due to his age. Empire's latest issue features quite the spread on the upcoming film, including Ben Affleck's explanation on just how director Zack Snyder pitched the role to him:

Then [director Zack Snyder] pitched me his concept for this older, more broken, kind of f—ed up Batman, it was something we haven’t seen. We have seen that Batman is willing to cross the line to protect people. That vigilantism has been a part of his character all along, and we are tapping into that mentality when faced by something as potentially as deadly as Superman.

The Batman in BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE will be around 45-46 years old and has operated as the Dark Knight for twenty years. Having lost nearly everyone near and dear to him by that point, Bruce Wayne finds himself “having a crisis of conscience” once he becomes aware of Superman's existence. Zack Snyder elaborates:

We want to assume that Batman has reached this point in his life and career as a superhero, and Superman represents a sort of philosophical change, he is a paradigm shift for Batman: ‘I’ve been fighting criminals all my life, trying to find justice, and now I am confronted with a concept that is transcendent to me.’ In the face of Superman, a man robbing a bank doesn’t matter.

Zack Snyder also mentions that BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE will be the first part of a storyline which ties all the members of the Justice League, in addition to the Suicide Squad, together:

What we are doing is ground up all the way. It is one giant story, the first thing we had was the Justice League concept. The other movies, in a way, have to support that. That is our Wonder Woman, our Aquaman. They have their own creative concepts that supports them, but they do serve Justice League in the coming together of those heroes.

I've definitely got my fingers crossed that BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE will succeed, as do Warner Bros. no doubt as they've got quite a lot riding on its success. Courtesy of Batman News, lets finish off with some high-res versions of many of the photos which were released this morning, check 'em out!

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE opens on March 25, 2016.