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Ben Affleck Admits Being Hurt by Batman Casting Backlash


There is little doubt that being cast as a beloved superhero is an exciting experience for any movie star. However, Ben Affleck can't say the same thing when it was announced that he would play Bruce Wayne in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Justice League actor has just admitted that he was hurt when the casting was met with backlash.

Back in 2013, it was announced that Ben Affleck will play Bruce Wayne opposite Henry Cavill's Clark Kent in Batman v Superman. It was the role of a lifetime for Affleck who had been a lifelong fan of the Caped Crusader. However, things immediately went sour as netizens started complaining about the casting, claiming he wasn't the right actor for the part.

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Although Affleck eventually made his mark as Batffleck, the initial reactions to his casting stayed with him. In a recent interview with The Howard Stern Show, he admitted that he was "hurt."

"I was less hurt than I would've been 10 years earlier. But I was hurt because I felt like 'Wait a minute, come on. What do I got to do to' you know what I mean? Like, I'm just you know, like, 'Jesus Christ'...I thought it was an interesting idea but you know what? I also realized at that point...it's gonna be, 'Now this turns into a petition,'" Affleck shared.

He continued by stating his disdain for the petition that begged for his removal from the project. Nevertheless, Affleck persevered because of one important reason.

"Ironically, the reason I did this is I wanted to do a movie for my kids, particularly my son, that they would see and be proud of," he said.

It's sad to know that all those negative comments truly affected Affleck especially since he had always wanted to play Batman. Still, he managed to live his dream and will relive it again in one last film.

Ben Affleck returns as Batman in The Flash, which is scheduled for release on November 4, 2022.

Related: The Batman Up Close: Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader Shows Ominous New Look

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