I just got back from seeing "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice." Yes, I know that I'm the last person in the world to see it. I ended up enjoying it, even if it was scatterbrained.
An aspect of the movie that really stood out to me, and many other people, was Ben Affleck's Batman.
Like any other casting choice for a comic book movie, Affleck's casting as Batman way back in 2013 led to a torrent of furious nerds unleashing their anger upon the Internet. Comic fans harbored little optimism after remembering Affleck's portrayal of Daredevil in the ill-received 2003 movie of the same name. The backlash Affleck received for that movie discouraged him from portraying a superhero ever again. Much like Heath Ledger's Joker, many people came into the movie with little faith only to leave blown away by their unique and complex portrayals.
In some ways, Affleck's Batman is the most comic-faithful adaptation to ever hit the silver screen. Unlike any other movie Batman, Affleck's Batman wears a costume made of cloth instead of armor. His menacing jawline, short eared cowl, broad shoulders, and "fat" bat emblem take clear inspiration from Frank Miller's genre-defining classic, "The Dark Knight Returns."
Affleck's Batman takes more than just his looks from Miller's interpretation. Both Batmen are old, seasoned crimefighters who care very little for the safety of their enemies, and both eventually don a mechanical suit to do battle with Superman. By far the most significant difference between the two however, is that Affleck's Batman is willing to kill his enemies. In "Batman V Superman," Batman mows enemies down with machine gunfire, and at one point, can be seen snapping a thug's neck. Most adaptations of Batman have the character adhere to a very strict no-kill policy, with an even stricter policy against firearm use. Batfleck's willingness to kill rubbed many people (including myself) the wrong way in what was otherwise a stellar and faithful interpretation of Batman.
On the other hand, Christian Bale's Batman from the acclaimed "Dark Knight trilogy" is arguably the least faithful interpretation of Batman. This was a stylistic choice to make sure an eccentric comic book character like Batman could fit within the realistic world set up by director Christopher Nolan.
Bale's Batman exists in a very different universe than his comic book counterpart. He utilizes highly advanced military technology for his traditional bat-gadgets. For example, he wears complex military-grade armor instead of a cloth suit, and he drives a tank-like "tumbler" vehicle as his Batmobile. Superpowers don't exist in this universe, and everything operates under the assumption that it could happen in real life. Bale's Batman is by far the most grounded and realistic, but whether or not that's a good thing is up to personal preference. What doesn't come down to personal preference is that stupid voice. If you like it, you suck.
There's no doubt that both actors portrayed very different interpretations of the same character. But who is the better Batman?
Personally, I think that Affleck's Batman is the best cinematic interpretation we've seen so far. His brooding Bruce Wayne and brutal Batman pay perfect homage to the character's most important story of all time: "The Dark Knight Returns." Batfleck toes the line between a stylized comic book character and a serious, flawed individual. You're not always meant to root for this Batman, he can be a bit of a dick. His methods are so extreme and he thinks so rigidly, he can almost be compared to the criminals he fights. On the other hand, Bale's Batman has to adhere to a strict realistic protocol that distances him from the comic book tone of his origin. This, in my opinion, limits the character, as he was not originally designed to exist in such an environment. While I detest Batfleck's murderous ways, he is otherwise a very faithful adaptation of the beloved hero.
What are your thoughts? Who wore the Batsuit better?
