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In the biggest DC surprise in months, Ben Affleck is apparently returning as Batman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. With rumors going around that Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne would appear in the post-credits for the movie, it looks like Affleck will replace him as the film got pushed before The Flash.
Affleck's return as Batman was revealed by Jason Momoa on Instagram when the actor was spotted during the reshoots of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. With the reveal of Affleck returning, the internet is a happy place.
So, to celebrate his return, let's take a look at his portrayal of the Caped Crusader and see how accurate to the comics he was.
How accurate to the comics was Ben Affleck's Batman?
Ben Affleck's version of Gotham's hero is loosely based on the version presented to us in The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. So whatever comparisons will be made over here will be made with that version of the character in mind. In general, we will also look at how close he comes to the central version of the character in the comics.
Nailing the playboy persona of Bruce Wayne
One thing that Affleck got incredibly right was the playboy persona of Bruce Wayne. In the comics, the character has three personalities, one of them being the Dark Knight, the second is when he is a tortured soul out of the suit, and the third is him in public.
Affleck completely nailed these aspects of the character. It's notably present in the scene from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when he is at Lex Luthor's party and interacts with Clark Kent for the first time.
Bruce Wayne's tortured soul
Talking about the inner conflict within Bruce Wayne himself, every actor has brought their particular flair to the character. Most recently, Robert Pattinson did a great job as well. Ben Affleck was able to do something unique with it, too, as one can see the pain behind those eyes when he is under the garb of the Caped Crusader.
His constant back and forth with Alfred on the moralities of how Bruce carries himself is done exceptionally well. The chemistry with Jeremy Irons' Alfred is impeccable.
An old and more brutal Batman
In The Dark Knight Returns, we see Batman come out of retirement in a severely brutal form. While Affleck has been an active Dark Knight for over 20 years in the DCEU, he did capture a complex and menacing aspect of the character.
His Batman kills
Now, plenty of versions of the character have killed individuals in live-action adaptations. Sometimes with a reason, and sometimes as creative liberty that's taken with the character, but Affleck's version perhaps went the farthest with this aspect.
There are plenty of scenes where you can see Affleck's version of the character using guns and even exploding cars with people in them. That's perhaps one of his aspects that probably doesn't sit right with many.
In a more realistic depiction of the superhero, Batman is uneasy about using guns because that's the enemy's weapon. Even the comic shows Bruce breaking a gun in half and encouraging his followers not to use them. There is even a point in the movie Dawn of Justice that does not cover the topic adequately, which makes things go awry.
Hope and optimism of the character
Affleck perhaps came extremely close to the ideal version of the character in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Going on a journey that sees him grow as a person and assemble a team to take down this hulking alien, the inspiration and hope of the Dark Knight is perfectly showcased by him in that film.
While Ben Affleck couldn't pin down the character to a T, he was still a great rendition of the Caped Crusader. You can check out Ben Affleck's return as the Dark Knight when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releases in theaters on March 17, 2023.
