Source: Warner Brothers | Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer

After weeks of speculation and rumors floating around the web, Warner Brothers has come out of nowhere and officially announced that none other than Ben Affleck will take on the role of Batman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel, tentatively titled either Batman vs. Superman, or Superman vs. Batman (I tend to prefer the latter, since a Superman sequel would seem to imply that his name should come first in the title). Read on for the official press release from Warner Brothers!

Official Press Release (via Collider):

BEN AFFLECK REVEALED AS BATMAN
August 22, 2013 at 6:19pm
BEN AFFLECK REVEALED AS BATMAN IN WARNER BROS. PICTURES’ NEW SUPER HERO FEATURE FILM, NOW SLATED TO OPEN JULY 17, 2015

The Oscar®-winning star joins Henry Cavill in the first ever onscreen match-up of DC Comics’ most iconic characters.

BURBANK, CA, August 22, 2013 –

Ending weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck has been set to star as Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne.  Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he established in “Man of Steel.”  The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The studio has slated the film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.

Last month’s surprise announcement of the new movie featuring both Superman and Batman created a wave of excitement and immediately fueled discussion and debate—among fans as well as in the media—about who would put on the cape and cowl of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.

Snyder successfully re-imagined the origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing.  The director will now create an original vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons together.

Affleck will star opposite Henry Cavill, who will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent.  The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

In the announcement, Silverman stated, “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.  His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”

Snyder also expressed his excitement about the casting of Affleck, noting, “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman.  He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne.  I can’t wait to work with him.”

Kroll added, “We are so thrilled that Ben is continuing Warner Bros.’ remarkable legacy with the character of Batman.  He is a tremendously gifted actor who will make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two beloved heroes.”

Affleck recently starred in the Academy Award®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which he also directed and produced, earning acclaim and a BAFTA Award nomination for his performance in the film, as well as a number of directing honors.  In 2010, he starred in and directed the hit crime thriller “The Town.”  His recent acting work also includes “The Company Men,” “State of Play,” and “Hollywoodland,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.  Earlier in his career, Affleck starred in and co-wrote (with Matt Damon) “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.

The new Super Hero film is being scripted by David S. Goyer from a story he co-created with Zack Snyder.  Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.

Production is expected to begin in 2014.

The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.

Understandably, on the surface this seems like an odd choice, and was probably pretty much unexpected by most. It’s easy to immediately think of Affleck’s portrayal of Daredevil in Marvel’s 2003 film (which was not that well received), but we all know that this was not what persuaded Zack Snyder and Warner Brothers to cast him as the Caped Crusader. Affleck has done much more than play Daredevil, and when you simply look at his other films, it becomes much easier to see that he’s not really a bad actor, and has a tremendous amount of talent.

But, is he the right actor? That’s the real question here. Does he have what it takes to make a great Batman – one that can live up to what Christian Bale did in The Dark Knight Trilogy?

Stranger things have happened. Remember the casting of Michael Keaton as Batman? Or how about Heath Ledger as Joker? You just never know what an actor can bring to role until a film is finished. Admittedly Affleck is a very unexpected choice, but we really have to just wait and see what the finished product is like before we really form opinions. It was never going to be easy for any Batman fan to accept someone else in the role after Bale. All we can do at this point is prepare for a very different Batman (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), and just be excited about seeing the Dark Knight face off against Superman in the new film, due out in 2015. Hopefully Affleck will surprise us.

And hey, at least they didn’t cast Keanu Reeves…