No one knows better than Ben Affleck that the reaction to last year’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice” wasn’t great. We don’t need to rehash the countless ways in which Zack Snyder‘s superhero showdown missed the mark, but the actor himself became the poster boy for WB and DC’s failings with the Sad Affleck meme, which over a year later, is still hilarious.
From the film’s overly grim tone, to the ridiculous plotting that included jars of urine, and Moms named Martha, ‘Dawn Of Justice’ took it on the chin and then some. Diehard DC fanboys largely refused to listen or believe that the film was a complete disaster, but at the very least, Affleck himself admits that those of us who really didn’t like the movie have a fair argument to make.
“I can understand people saying [‘Batman v Superman’] was too dark, or this was outside the tone of what I’m used to seeing with a Batman story, and I think that’s a fair criticism,” he told Empire, though it should be noted, Affleck isn’t necessarily saying he agrees with those views.
Looking ahead to “Justice League,” much has been made about Joss Whedon‘s influence on the picture, to the point where he’s receiving a writer’s credit. But according Affleck, the pivot to something lighter and less bleak was all on the page, at least conceptually, from day one.
“… this was all scripted and set up before [‘Batman v Superman’] came out. The approach was changed anyway for the second one. It was natural progression,” he said adding, “Zack wanted to make a movie that was more fun, that was a little bit light, that wasn’t so encumbered with heavy melodrama.”
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Well, we’ll see if all involved succeeded when “Justice League” arrives on November 17th. [via ScreenRant]