Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice did well at the box office, but it didn’t necessarily connect with every member of the audience. Heck, the movie’s supporting cast (personified by Jeremy Irons) recently came out and dismissed Dawn of Justice as "overstuffed." The negative reactions even led to a Sad Affleck meme, but we might be able to perk the Batman actor up, because one very important person weighed in on the side of his Dark Knight.
Frank Miller, noted scripter and illustrator, created the version of the Batman for The Dark Knight Returns on which Ben Affleck clearly borrowed. In that story, published in 1986, an older Batman comes out of retirement to battle a series of foes including Two-Face, the Joker and, eventually, Superman. The armor that he wears to battle the Last Son of Krypton is what inspired Snyder and Affleck, and so, when Frank Miller was asked at MegaCon 2016 in Orlando what he thought of Affleck’s take on the Bat, Miller replied:
I liked it. He’s a good actor. I mean, he’s obviously very, very close to this material and plays it with great affection.
And with that, Ben Affleck should be able to put his mind at ease about any negativity his performance in Batman v Superman collected. The man responsible for this version of Batman approves of what you did, via quotes obtained by DCComicsMovie.com. Mission accomplished.
Not that Affleck was receiving the brunt of the criticism aimed at Batman v Superman. If anything, more people praised Affleck’s interpretation of Bruce Wayne, and Warner Bros. worked behind the scenes to get this Oscar-winning talent more involved in the DC Films process. His solo Batman movie potentially has been fast-tracked to an earlier release date. He has taken on a greater role in the Justice League movie. If anything, Frank Miller’s words about Ben Affleck’s work on Dawn of Justice are being
echoed around Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has to be the most discussed blockbuster to reach theaters this year. Love it or hate it, fans (and detractors) can not stop analyzing every aspect of this film. The reason, I believe, is because so much of the success of the DC Film Universe needs to track back to what Snyder floats in Dawn of Justice. There are seeds of Justice League villains, of Flash cameos and the origin of Cyborg. DC and Warner Bros. need their fans to be invested if they are going to continue building this world, so a vote of confidence from someone as influential as Frank Miller may actually go a long, long way.
