It took a tad longer than anticipated, but Hollywood’s biggest names are starting to show their support for Ben Affleck.
The director of this year’s best picture winning thriller “Argo” has faced some negative backlash over his casting as Batman in Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Man of Steel” sequel. Joss Whedon, who has a long history writing comic books and directing the massive blockbuster “The Avengers,” chimed in on twitter Friday with the following:
Affleck’ll crush it. He’s got the chops, he’s got the chin — just needs the material. Affleck & Cavill toe to toe — I’m in.
– Joss Whedon (@josswhedon) August 24, 2013
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It was a nice show of support from a filmmaker involved in two competing Marvel properties (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”. Batman, obviously, is a key member of the DC Comics universe.
Affleck has remained silent on the casting so far, but both he and Warner Bros. have to be somewhat unnerved by the loud and vocal reaction to the news Friday on Twitter and Facebook. The reaction was so intense it led to coverage on local newscasts and cable news networks. The studio must have assumed there would be some naysayers, but miscalculated announcing during such a slow newscycle. Social media is so ingrained as part of American’s day to day routine that it doesn’t matter if they are on vacation during the last weeks of summer or not. They will chime in and they will chime in loudly. For example, a Change.org petition to remove Affleck as Batman has garnered over 45,000 signatures.
Warner Bros. recently dated the new “Batman/Superman” movie for July, 2015.