Matt Damon and Hans Zimmer on Ben Affleck as BATMAN
We're all aware of the Internet's reaction to Ben Affleck being cast as Batman. It goes a little something like this, *clears throat* "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" That's a spot on impression by the way -- give or take a few expletives, references to Gigli and/or Daredevil, and lewd emoticons I didn't know existed until now. Some well-known directors and actors have already weighed in on the casting, now here are a couple opinions from people closer to the inner circle of this news, Matt Damon and Hans Zimmer.
It's hard to imagine anything but praise coming from Affleck's best friend or the person who will more than likely score the speculatively titled Man of Steel sequel, Batman Vs. Superman. But Damon and Affleck have openly taken jabs at each other's careers, and as for Zimmer… I don't want to throw out cultural stereotypes, but Germans aren't known for sugarcoating things.
Here's what Damon told the Times Of India (via GlobalDispatch):
"I think it will be great. It will be terrific. I know there are a lot of people grousing on the internet. I just think it’s kind of funny. You know, he’s not playing King Lear. It’s Batman! Certainly within his skill set. If anybody saw Argo or The Town, and all the work he’s been doing lately, it’s way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman!"
"Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people. Bruce Wayne is the more challenging part of the role, and Ben will be great at that."
Damon also jokingly added, “It’s safe to say I won’t be Robin.” In an interview with Red Carpet News (via ComingSoon), Zimmer said of the casting:
“I actually think it’s a really good choice, because #1 he’s a great filmmaker. He’s smart. He wouldn’t have taken it if he had set himself up for a fall. And, you know, he’s a bit older these days and that’s what we need, and he’s got a good chin.”
Zimmer also said of scoring Batman once again:
"This is really complicated for me. Because we all went, 'Okay, we're done with Batman,' and now it's sort of getting smuggled back in. I'll have to have a think about that one. I might give you a new Batman if I do it."
I think Damon and Zimmer both offer up some good points. What do you think of what they had to say? I'll completely agree that it's sometimes hard to see past famous actors who have fallen prey to tabloid fodder in the past. At the same time though, Affleck's track record as of late is pretty hard to deny, Oscar and all.