I have something to say.
Batfleck isn’t garbage.
So first of all, I would like to preface this by saying in no way shape or form am I saying that I think batfleck is the best batman, or EVEN one of the best. But I will say that I like him.
(Pause)
Wait, wait, wait, hol’ up, before you click off this article and go watch a video of some guy consuming diet coke and mentos, let me explain.
I don’t think batfleck is as bad as everybody says he is- not like anybody said he’s bad… (shows all negative batfleck videos).
Like is a strong word…. but, i definitely don’t hate Batfleck.
There are usually 3 main reasons people don’t Like Batfleck:
- Batfleck’s writing is a mess
- Ben afleck should have never played batman
- The dark knight batman is miles better than it’s DCEU counterpart
Well, first of all, I think calling out Batfleck’s writing isn’t fair, because Afflek has no control over how his character is written, so I think it’s more fair to call him Snyder’s Batman, or SnyderVerse Batman, or even DCEU Batman. So in this article, I will only be referring to him as Ben Affleck’s batman when I have an issue of his performance. So… let’s talk about his performance….
To be honest, I didn’t have an issue with Ben Afflek as batman. His performance was really good. Especially when he was pretending to be just another billionaire playboy philanthropist, like when he was at Luthor’s party in Batman v Super-Man.
Also, his batman voice was awesome, sorry Baleman, but Batfleck’s voice was miles better in my opinion. It sounded more menacing rather than cringey. And, Yeah, he’s old, but that’s the point.
Which brings me to another point: The Comparisons.
People always compare Nolan’s batman with Snyder’s batman, but I don’t think it is a fair comparison. These movies depict batman at different stages in his life.
The Dark Knight trilogy is about Batman becoming batman, and meeting new villains. Its about him trying to stop being batman, but having to learn to accept it.
The DCEU batman is a batman who has been the bat for 20 years, been there, done that, but most importantly, a deconstructed batman who hides behind the Bat to try to relieve his pain. After losing Robin, he’s snapped and is a bat that kills, but not a Batman. Because the one thing that makes Batman Batman is that he does not kill.
Now, you may say, well, they’re still both Batman. Well, not really. See, people who don’t understand the character of batman would say that anybody who wears a bat costume can be considered a batman.
But, no. People who know Batman know, they know the one thing that makes batman batman, the reason he’s such a compelling character, the reason why he has to keep dealing with villains like The Joker, the one thing separating him apart from a villain.
Batman DOES NOT kill.
Just as Spidey-Fans know the one thing that makes spiderman spiderman is with great power comes great responsibility, Batfans know that the one thing that makes batman batman is that he does not kill. That’s why Snyder’s batman isn’t even really Batman, or at least, a fixed batman. He’s the Bat, a killing, venge filled man. A deconstructed batman.
People might say it’s boring seeing a batman who already has experience, but that doesn’t mean his character development is over, in fact, him killing offers a whole different arc.
See, in the dark knight Trilogy. Bruce Wayne is a man. He learns not to fight to kill, and take vengeance, but to fight to help. He wants to kill the person who killed his parents, but realizes it is wrong and throws his gun into the ocean. It’s symbolic because the gun repesents killing, and he’s quite literally throwing killing away, because the gun he wanted to get revenge with is the same gun used to kill his parents. So he can’t kill because killing is the same way he lost HIS OWN parents. When he trains with Ras Al Ghul, he refuses to kill, risking his life for the life of others. He leaves training, fights crime on the streets. This turns him into batman. No matter how many times he tries to go back to the man, the bat follows him. He’s Gotham’s beacon of hope. He’s the hero they deserve. He’s Batman.
In the DCEU, There is no Batman, only “The Bat”. The Bat has no humanity, he kills for vengeance. Everybody in Gotham fears him, even the good people. Bruce now hides behind the bat for comfort. It’s all he has. But the man keeps following him. And when he’s about to kill Superman, and Superman says “MARTHA” it all comes back to him. At that exact moment, he became human for a second.
He becomes pierced with the pain and trauma that’s been inflicted onto him. The night in the alley. The night his parents died and his dad reached for his dead mom calling: Martha!
He remembers. Remembers why he became batman. So nobody has to feel the pain he went through that night. He puts the spear down.
And when Superman dies, you can see the pain in Batman’s eyes because he realizes that Superman, as powerful or evil as he may have seemed, was a man with people who cared about him, and now he’s dead. And it was at that exact moment that Batman changed.
He realized he’s done.
He’s done killing.
Even in Zack Snyder’s justice league, Joker acknowledges this and when Batman says he’ll kill Joker, Joker says “no, no you won’t”
See, Nolan’s Batman is about the man finding the Bat,
But Snyder’s Batman is about The Bat….
finding the man.
I’m interested to hear what ya’ll have to say: do you think Ben Afflecks batman is trash or cash? And if you really wanna debate about it, head over to my Fan Area Forums and grab some popcorn.