The big screen Daredevil isn't one of the superhero genres greatest hits, but there's one aspect of the film that Ben Affleck really likes. The actor says that he learned a great deal about being blind that he was able to bring into the film in order to make that aspect feel real. According to Affleck...
One of the things that I really cared about in that movie was not just looking blind or coming across blind but knowing what it felt like... Tom Sullivan talked to me about blindness... He was really patient with me and really helped me understand something I thought was really interesting artistically. I think that was the most interesting thing about the movie, frankly. A lot of other stuff in the movie was kinda silly.
Daredevil's blindness is an important aspect of his character, both as a superhero and as a man, so it's something that certainly requires study. Ben Affleck says he spent a lot of time with Tom Sullivan, a blind man who was the one tasked to teach Affleck what he needed to know to portray a blind person. In the interview clip posted by October Coast, Sullivan says that Affleck was committed to trying to bring forward the best possible performance, so it isn't just Affleck saying so.
The recently posted interview doesn't appear to be recently given, as the actor looks younger than he does now. However, that only serves to reinforce the comments, as Affleck clearly felt this way some time ago, and isn't just trying to cover for what is now looked at as being a pretty bad movie.
Daredevil eventually found a second life as a Netflix series starring Charlie Cox. Ben Affleck also returned to the superhero world as Batman. While his future in that role is unclear at this point, Affleck's Batman is generally regarded as a positive in the DC film universe, which has had a rocky history overall. Recent indications are that he may be done with his second superhero role, but nothing official has been announced and there is still a new Batman movie in development.
I don't think I've seen the Daredevil movie since it was in theaters, so I'd have to go back and look to see just how well Ben Affleck portrayed a blind person. However, it's clear that, no matter how people feel about the film, there were still serious people trying to make a good movie. Even if some aspects turned out somewhat silly, as Ben Affleck admits.
While Daredevil may have been silly, it wasn't a failure. The movie made nearly $180 million in 2003 on a budget of less than $80 million. It also spawned a spinoff in the Jennifer Garner-led Elektra, which, if we're being honest, is the movie that's a bit bigger of a problem than Daredevil.
It just goes to show that even in "bad" movies there's something of value if you know where to look.
