We Know How Old Ben Affleck's Batman Is In 'Batman V Superman'
We've known Ben Affleck was going to be the next Batman for almost a year. Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. made the surprise announcement on August 22, 2013 and even then, the vision was incredibly strong. "[Affleck] has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne," Snyder said at the time. That quote, plus the connection to Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, made it clear the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Caped Crusader was a much different version than we're used to.
Now, one of the film's producers has honed in on exactly how much older Bruce Wayne is than not just Clark Kent, but previous Batman's before him. Read the Ben Affleck Batman info below.
Producer Michael Uslan spoke to the Ashbery Park Press (via Comic Book Movie) and said the following:
So, [the Batman universe casting backlash] has happened time and again, and it happened with Affleck. To go back to the original thought of Bruce Wayne in his mid-40s, I think he's going to be extraordinary.
As far as I can remember, Batman's age on film has never been specifically defined. So if you go by the actors who've played them, Affleck is in fact the oldest one. He'll be 42 year old on August 15. Everyone else who played the role was at least 3-4 years younger than that when they first played the role, and Bale was in his mid 30s. As for Henry Cavill, he's 11 years younger than Affleck.
Long story short, the age isn't the crucial piece of important. Affleck is an older Batman than we're used to, but not that much older. The important info wasn't in Uslan's interview. What we need to find out is exactly how long Affleck's Bruce Wayne has been Batman. Badass Digest recently suggested he might have been the character for decades. So if he started in his twenties and has remained anonymous, and alive, into his forties, that creates a darker, more messed up Batman than we've ever seen. Almost all the rest have been at the beginning of their reign. That's the key piece of information and we simply don't have it.
What are your thoughts on Batman's age in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?