Ben Affleck's tenure as Batman is at an end, and while he never got a solo film to strut his stuff, the actor has given audiences more awesome Batman moments than some actors who have. For those suspicious of that statement, or others simply wishing to relive the best moments of his time wearing the cowl in the DC Extended Universe, here are Affleck's seven best Batman moments in chronological order.
Batman Runs Towards The Destruction
One of Ben Affleck's first scenes as Batman is perhaps his coolest, as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice showed Man of Steel's battle in Metropolis from an alternate point of view. Bruce Wayne spots the destruction and mayhem going on in the distance, and despite him being out of harm's way, he gets in his car and drives towards the destruction for a closer look.
That much was expected, because he is Batman after all, but what follows really takes it over the top. Bruce continues to delve further into the chaos and in harm's way, despite the fact that none of his Batman gear is on hand. He does what he can to help the victims of the collapsed building, which isn't much. Though he doesn't do a lot, the scene is a perfect show of Batman's want to help others and protect humanity.
Batman Scares A Rookie Cop
Fear is a big part of how Batman operates, and while he's a good guy, he's also scary as hell. Batman films have generally been good about showing this, although it's usually through the lens of villains. This changed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when a rookie cop heads off in search of The Dark Knight after learning he's on the second floor.
The young cop panics upon spotting Batman and begins firing wildly out of fear. Afterward, he explains to his colleague that he's never seen him in person, as if to justify almost killing him. The scene is especially excellent over similar Batman scenes as it shows the hero is not just a figure feared by criminals. A hero who operates on fear could decide only to intimidate criminals with his presence, but it probably works better when everyone is afraid.
Batman's Showdown With Superman
It's the cinematic event the world waited a long time to see and, for the most part, it didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, the "Martha" scene has somewhat tarnished the legacy of what was one of Batman v Superman's best fight scenes, and one of the best the DCEU has done in general. Who would've thought with the way that fight started that it would be Batman ultimately deciding whether Superman lived or died?
The movie did a great job of making it seem like Batman's extensive preparation for the battle was a big waste of time. The first two and a half minutes are just him getting blasted back as Superman tears through his traps with little struggle. Then, Bats hits him with the Kryptonite grenade, and one has to wonder if that wasn't all part of a plan to convince Supes to lower his guard for that attack that turned the tables.
Batman Tears Through A Warehouse
Once Batman and Superman bond over the shared name of their mothers, Bruce hauls ass to a warehouse where Clark's mother is being held hostage by criminals hired by Lex Luthor. This leads to what may be the best fight sequence in the DCEU to date, as Batman tears through a large room of armed assassins using a mixture of gadgets and hand-to-hand combat. It's chaotic, brutal, gritty and Batman at his finest.
Which makes it all the more devastating that Ben Affleck's Batman never got a solo movie. Imagine a feature that's a mix of the stealth and the action of the warehouse fight. There's no way a movie like that is getting panned, regardless of how many times characters name drop "Martha." Granted, DC might still keep that type of Batman in The Batman, but the fact that it won't be Batfleck behind the cowl already makes it a bit disappointing.
Batman Chases Joker And Harley
Batman didn't get a lot of time in Suicide Squad, but he sure made what little screen-time he was given counted. Ben Affleck is first seen confronting Deadshot in front of his daughter, and then later he's chasing down Harley and Joker on the Gotham City streets. The Dark Knight starts the journey in the Batmobile, but for some reason ultimately decides going to the roof is the better play.
It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it looks cool as hell. Plus, Batman has a reason for everything, so who can really say staying in the highly armored car was the optimal strategy as opposed to dodging bullets on top of a purple Vaydor? Whatever his reasons, Batman was able to save Harley because he was out of the car. Side note, it's a shame those two probably won't get to discuss that kiss she snuck post rescue.
Batman Battles The Parademon
Batman fights a ton of Parademons in Justice League, but the coolest of these tussles sees him using a would-be thief as bait to lure the first seen Parademon out. What's even crazier is that Bruce doesn't decide to view this thing from a distance or throw a patented Bat-tracking device on the beast. Instead, he takes a running start off the ledge, tackles the hell-spawn midair and goes flying with it into the night.
It's such a wild scene, while at the same time so Batman. The Caped Crusader recognized a threat, devised a way to get a closer look and then did what had to be done. Wonder Woman and Superman may have been able to do it quicker, and with far less effort, but Bruce's humanity only makes the whole thing even more badass. Again, it's a shame we couldn't see more of Batfleck doing stuff like this in a solo movie.
Batman Inspires The Flash
The cinematic Batman has never been much for monologues, but he's had a handful of memorable lines in his various films. One of the better ones from recent memory came from Justice League, when Bruce was forced to come up with some words of wisdom for a rattled Barry Allen. Bruce had to choose his words carefully with The Flash, or risk losing The Fastest Man Alive to an anxiety attack.
Luckily, he found some, and "save one" proved to do the job just fine. Flash managed to shake off his anxiety enough to do the job, and Batman was able to continue saving the day without another hero tapping on his shoulder and asking what he should be doing. It's one of Batman's best speeches of Ben Affleck's whole tenure, although maybe we shouldn't say that in the freak chance the Snyder Cut gets released.
So what was the best Batfleck moment from this group? Be sure to cast a vote in the poll or drop down to the comments and talk about a pivotal scene that we may have missed. For more info on The Batman, read up on what the franchise's new game plan is post-Affleck.
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