A few years can give anyone perspective and that seems to be the case with Ben Affleck and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Image: Warner Bros
In a new interview with Empire Magazine, Affleck admitted that the general criticisms about the film were justified. “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 said.
But don’t worry, DC fans. The actor who may or may not still be Batman stopped his criticism right there. He added that no matter what people say about that film, things are going to change with Justice League, and that was always the plan.
“This was all scripted and set up before that movie came out,” Affleck said. “The approach was changed anyway for the second one. It was natural progression.”
Which, of course, we’ve heard before. The first time was way back last summer. Back then, on the set of Justice League, producer Deborah Snyder suggested they learned from Batman v Superman and adjusted for Justice League.
“The main thing we learned [on Batman v Superman] is that people don’t like to see their heroes deconstructed,” said Snyder. “They like seeing them in all their glory… I think what’s really great is where we’re going is kind of what the audience is wanting. We just had to take the characters from somewhere to bring them up to where they are and that was our journey.”
It’s a journey that was backed up in the same Empire interview by Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot: “Justice League is not a dark or heavy movie. It doesn’t have the weight Batman v Superman had,” she said.
Whether or not that progressions works is the big question. And, thankfully, it’s one we’ll know the answer to very soon, since Justice League opens next month. There are some related questions we may not get answers to at that time, though. Such as, how much of the tone was a result of Zack Snyder’s work or was it Joss Whedon’s changes. There’s also the question if Affleck continues to be Batman or not. All in all, there are some fascinating stories to follow. And Affleck admitting Batman v Superman got some big stuff wrong is just one of them.
[Empire via Screenrant]