Oscar-winning director Ben Affleck is set to star as Batman in Warner Bros. Man of Steel sequel, the studio announced Thursday.
Zack Snyder will be returning to direct Affleck and Henry Cavill in the still-untitled film, which will be the first time Batman and Superman have shared the big screen. The press release announcing the news says that Affleck’s Batman will be “an entirely new incarnation of the character.” Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will be returning to reprise their roles in the film as well, which is slated to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.
Snyder, whose Man of Steel has grossed over $649 million worldwide, said in the release: “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He 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. I can’t wait to work with him.”
“We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some. His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character,” Warner Bros. exec Greg Silverman said in the announcement.
Man of Steel and Batman Begins scribe David Goyer is working on the script for a shoot that’s anticipated to begin sometime in 2014.
Affleck is no stranger to superhero roles for better or worse. His turn as the titular character in Daredevil was a box office and critical disappointment; he fared better in the reviews as Superman actor George Reeves in the 2006 film Hollywoodland. (ENTERTAINMENT-W)
