It was announced today that Ben Affleck has been chosen to play Batman in the currently untitled sequel to Man of Steel. There has been a mixed reception to this, with the negative commentors understandably having PTSD-type flashbacks to Affleck's 2003 film, Daredevil. Nevertheless, Ben's been cast and he now stands alongside a long line of other actors who have played the Caped Crusader. While we can’t know for sure in which direction Affleck will take the role, we can look to the previous actors who have played Batman to get some hints.
After nearly fifty years of televised and cinematic Batmen, the take on the character can generally be split into two different categories. The first of these is 'camp' Batman. The best example of a camp Batman is the grandfather of the franchise: Adam West. This type of Batman wears a lycra batsuit and is always ready to take on fantastic, hammy villains armed with a flimsy batarang. This Batman never lets his troubled past get in the way of a little dancing. Likewise, he's more concerned with imparting life lessons than agonising over his dual identity. (Remember, everyone, buckle up your seatbelt before you start driving!) This is a Batman who clearly revels in being the Dark Knight, putting his name on everything he owns (the Batpole, the Batmobile and the Bat-belt being just three examples).
Another Batman in this mould is George Clooney’s Batman. Much like West, he doesn't shy away from the limelight. Instead, he attends gala events and auctions - in full costume. Clooney’s Batman also has a penchant for Bat-naming everything, most notably with the Bat credit card (used only for emergency situations, like buying a date with Poison Ivy). One-liners are also something never far from this Batman, which, while never particularly good receive an A+ for effort. With his daring batsuit, George Clooney’s Batman is always ready to take on a team of brilliantly cast, colourful supervillains (is there a better Mr. Freeze than Schwarzenegger?).
The second category of Batmen can be described as the serious, dramatic kind. Christian Bale is the perfect example of this sort of Batman. He’s dark and edgy. He drowns in his “I am the Night!” persona. He’s consumed by his past; only an inch away from screaming “My parents are dead!” at all times in any situation. This Batman sees himself as a villian, too, for no obvious reason other than to be melodramatic. Bale’s Batman is celebrated as a 'realistic' Batman. Of course, when you consider that other Batmen have had shark-repellent batspray or played against Jim Carrey, it's not saying very much.
Before Christian Bale, there was Tim Burton’s Michael Keaton's Batman. This was a Batman of vigilantism and violence. His character was quite similar to, and no doubt provided the inspiration for, Bale’s Batman. He was a bogeyman and a bit of a psychopath to boot. You certainly couldn’t see Adam West’s Batman dropping mooks off rooftops (aka murdering them in cold blood) to strike fear into hearts and minds. Keaton’s Batman, while important, was a product of the 80s, a decade which gave us other films of a dark theme - Commando, Rambo and other similar films ending in o.
Essentially, Ben Affleck has two Batmen to play with - 'silly' or 'gloomy'. Today, Zach Snyder claimed that Affleck’s Batman would act as an “interesting counter-balance” to Superman. It’s not completely clear what he means by this. However, if we consider the alternating pattern for Batman –i.e. Silly, Gloomy, Silly, Gloomy – it does seem that we are going to have the return of Adam West. I'm already looking forward to the club scene where Affleck will bust out a modern rendition of the Batusi – it’s all any fan has ever really wanted.
P.S - I couldn't possibly write about Val Kilmer here - he would need an article all to himself. An article entitled "Val Kilmer: The Most Perfect Batman Ever Known". Watch this space!
Featured image: Fansided.com
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