Ben Affleck

Since the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder hasn’t spent much time talking about Justice League or the future of the DC movie universe — instead, he’s mostly been explaining some of the (many, many, many) things that happen in his superhero epic. And while we anxiously await his explanation of Granny’s Peach Tea, the director is opening up about one character who wasn’t actually in the film, but whose existence was crucial to Ben Affleck’s iteration of Batman.

After Batman vs. Superman, Ben Affleck is only officially contracted to star as Batman in two more movies: the two-part Justice League film. (He also makes a cameo appearance in this summer’s Suicide Squad.) There have been rumors about Affleck directing himself in a Batman solo movie set for release in 2019 and now comes word that Affleck has already written the script. T...

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smashed box office records over the weekend, and while we wait for the dust to settle to see just how successful it will become, Zack Snyder has been opening up about a few key moments in the film. The divisive superhero epic offered a few cameos and surprises (and one very surprising cameo), including an ending that left some audience members shocked. It’s that particular plot development that Snyder addresses in his latest interview, which sheds some light on his future Justice League plans. Spoilers ahead!

A darker, edgier version of Batman is far from new, especially to comic book fans acquainted with the work of Frank Miller. Zack Snyder took some inspiration from Miller’s Dark Knight books for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, giving us Ben Affleck as an older, more cynical version of the caped crusader. But there’s at least one aspect of the new Batman that has raised a few eyebrows among fans, and if you’d like an explanation, Snyder has one for you — sort of.

When the cast of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice took the stage at Comic-Con last summer, reports immediately surfaced that Ben Affleck was in talks to direct a new Batman solo film. And almost immediately following those reports, DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns revealed that he was indeed developing a new Batman film with Affleck. And while Warner Bros. hasn’t made anything official, and Affleck hasn’t formally signed on, the actor and new Batman has confirmed that he is working on “something” with Johns — gee, what could that be?

Zack Snyder makes superhero movies, but his characters don’t act very heroic. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features all the other trappings of the superhero genre: Capes, gadgets, outlandish muscles, punching stuff. But the two stars aren’t noble or chivalrous; they’re violent, aggressive, and angry — mostly at each other instead of the bad guys. In Snyder’s formulation, protecting the world from evil isn’t a gift or a calling; it’s a burden. And that feeling is reflected in the movie itself, a burdensome 150- minute slog about two men fighting over who is in the right when both are very clearly in the wrong.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters this week (in four days, but who’s counting?), and although we’ve seen plenty of footage in all the trailers and TV spots, Warner Bros. has released another preview of Zack Snyder’s superhero epic — just in case you’re feeling a bit impatient. Four minutes of B-roll footage has arrived online, offering a sneak peek at some previously unseen sequences, along with another look at the Batmobile in action and one particularly silly Laurence Fishburne.

A couple of years ago, The Revenant and Birdman director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu shared some particularly severe opinions about the prevalence of superhero films, referring to them as “cultural genocide.” Ouch. But Ben Affleck disagrees, and having been on both sides of the equation, the actor and director is in a position to offer an informed but diplomatic response.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theaters in just six days, and we’re currently sitting at peak marketing for Zack Snyder’s superhero epic, with Warner Bros. unleashing a torrent of clips, featurettes, photos and images leading up to the film’s highly-anticipated release. Today brings two featurettes exploring Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight and Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, their respective motivations and mythology, and while a lot of it is stuff we’ve been hearing for months (Batman is older and crankier and probably needs a nap!), there’s some footage in these videos that we haven’t seen before.

There have been so many damn Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailers and teasers I’ve lost count. But this one is supposedly the final one. At least until the next one. Man I tell you, this justice is taking its sweet time dawning.

It’s both cool and a little silly to hear the name “Alfred” come out of Ben Affleck’s mouth, but the brief moments we’ve seen between our new Batman and Jeremy Irons’ Alfred have been one of the highlights of the trailers and TV spots for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The latest spot opens with Bruce Wayne and his most trusted friend bantering about the Dark Knight’s age, though that does not stop him from taking on the Man of Steel later on in the new sneak peek.

Batman vs. Superman was recently revealed to be two hours and 31 minutes long, pretty lengthy for a superhero movie. But even despite that runtime, director Zack Snyder still had to trim some things out of the movie, namely an extended cameo from late night host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel and his guest Ben Affleck debuted the footage on last night’s post-Oscars Jimmy Kimmel Live and it seems as if Batman and Superman may have found a common enemy.