Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be out in theaters in just two days … Admittedly, I was skeptical about Ben Affleck as Batman, but I may be willing to him a pass for this production after the press chat that took place.
Many of the cast and crew took some time out to talk about the upcoming blockbuster and we were more than happy to listen.
There have been more than a few people hesitant to visualize Ben Affleck in this role, and at first he was a bit nervous himself.
“It’s certainly daunting because of the people who have played this character before, and the great filmmakers … most recently obviously Christian Bale … and Chris did three brilliant movies … and all the guys who went before him … there’s that element of healthy respect you have for the project and for the characters and their history … and it raises the bar certainly. I felt that I was in really good hands with the script and with Zack so that was where I focused my attention,” says Affleck.
Ben continues on about the Batman character. “With Batman, I think one of the reasons why this character has resonated since the FDR administration with audiences regardless of the country changes or the pop culture changes is because you have a guy that on one hand is powerful and exciting and can do things that we’ve all wished we could do, but he’s also still a human being and struggling with his own vulnerabilities and his own will and he kind of accomplishes things by force of will I think. That was fun and exciting to play. I think I tapped into equal measure of my adult geekness and my kid excitement for this movie. Every day there was something new to kinda geek out about and be excited by … and you’re like ‘I can’t believe I get to be in this movie’ … It was exciting every day.”
Ben wasn’t the only one that raised an eyebrow or two after being cast in the production. Jesse Eisenberg comments. “It’s certainly strange and unnerving to be criticized for a part you haven’t yet been able to screw up. I think I probably also would have been surprised had I read that I was playing Lex Luther without having had access to this wonderful script and this incredible character written by Chris Terrio who created a character that I thought was suitable for me. If you look at just the canon and then the mythology and history of Superman I might not be the first person to come to mind, but if you read the script and understand how the character was contextualized in this kind of modern era and the way he was written … I knew that I could do it well and I hope that after people see the movie they understand that I was more appropriate than they had originally feared.”
Henry Cavill reprises his role as Superman once again to the delight of fans. He speaks to Superman’s growth and development over the course of this film.
“There’s an awful lot of psychology in Superman because it’s the one way you can find to crack the shell. And when it comes to playing the character, especially in this movie where we still see the growth of Superman before seeing the finished product of what we know and love from the character in the comic books … it was just delving into the psychology and the weaknesses therein … playing with the relationship between him an Lois and him and Martha and then of course the conflict he has when facing the likes of Batman,” says Cavill.
Henry goes on to say, “We are looking at the guy growing up. He’s become this Superman after discovering he was Kal-El in the first movie. Now he’s facing off against this second guy and it’s a tough outing for him because it’s again a psychological enemy as opposed to a physical enemy like Zod was. You see him make mistakes and we see him grow from those mistakes, and learn from them.”
The movie itself morphed into itself as it moved along throughout production. Director Zack Snyder says of the film, “It evolved over time. At the camera test when I was actually looking at Batman and Superman in their costumes, that was when I realized ‘it’s gonna happen huh’.”
“It’s been amazing, fun and an honor to deal with these icons,” said Snyder.
Of course, in this release a new super hero is introduced — Wonder Woman. Everyone on the team had nothing but high accolades for Gal Gadot.
“Gal brings something particular, something statuesque … something otherworldly to the character and it’s remarkable to see,” says Cavill about Gal Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman.
Gal gushed when speaking of her bit in the film. “It’s a huge honor to be the one who got this amazing opportunity to tell such an important story,” says Gal Gadot after clearing her waning voice from endless interviews. “I feel very, very grateful.”
Never having been exposed to this character, Gadot did a little prep before beginning her journey as Wonder Woman. “After they cast me for this role I did watch a couple of episodes of Wonder Woman. I think that Linda Carter was a magnificent Wonder Woman, and it’s certainly big shoes to fit into, but when they cast me for this movie Zack and everyone had a very clear vision on who Wonder Woman should be and her story and how they want to tell it.
“All I had to do is really give my own notes and inputs and just embody everything and be her. I’m so happy I’m going to be the one to tell the Wonder Woman story. It is such an important story to tell. I also think it’s so important for girls and boys to have a female strong super hero to look up to. The more the merrier. There’s plenty of room for many more women to come. I’m very, very happy to be a part of that,” says Gadot.
As far as roles go, not everyone had a part based on the comic book roles. A role was created especially for actress Holly Hunter. She was thrilled to get the chance to be a part of the production. She says, “It was lovely to have a character who was in the midst of this mayhem of the story and kinda bring some sense and sensibility to the proceedings … dealing with a character as combustible as Lex — especially as Jesse’s Lex is. He’s volatile and complicated and emotional. It was a really fun ride.”
Many people scoff at the crazy concept of Batman v Superman … Ben Affleck takes this one. “I didn’t think it was crazy because I had read, when I was a kid, The Dark Night Returns where Frank Miller did this comic where Superman fought Batman and it was really original and interesting and turned the genre on its head. It was a morally gray sort of story and changed the way I saw comic books. So, I had been familiar with the idea for a long time. When I heard this was the idea behind this movie I thought ‘that’s brilliant’ because it’s one of the great ideas in comics that hasn’t been mined yet for film.”
Henry chimes in, “I agree with Ben on that one. I knew the comic book, especially the Frank Miller one, and also the relationship in the comic books between Batman and Superman, and the idea was nothing but exciting because we’re opening up the cinematic universe for all of DC.”
In a quick round of questions to the finish, Henry postulates what Clark Kent might ask at this sort of press conference. “‘What do you think the value of Batman is and what do you think the value of the Superman is’ … I … oh, that’s a good question … I didn’t even think I’d have to answer my own excellent question! In the fictitious reality it’s explained very clearly in the movie, and I agree with it. [laughs]”
Lawrence Fishburn portrays Perry White, but he insists it’s less about the role and more about fulfilling that childhood dream-come-true. “I’m really more of a fan. I’m a comic book reader and a collector, and have been since I was a kid. Really for me, this movie is a movie I’ve been waiting to see for 35 years … I can’t even believe I’m in the movie.”
Amy Adams’ pipes up about her favorite scene in the film, which was the bath tub scene … “I’m kidding … I’m just kidding … [laughs] … I had so much fun on this film and I love working with him [Henry Cavill] so much, and really getting to come back to that relationship in such a rich way was really awesome. There’s a moment in the third act with Diane that actually became my favorite moment … just a quiet moment between two women. As an actress I like quiet moments.”
*Spoiler Alert*
The one endearing moment that makes Batman realize Superman is not just an inhuman alien from outerspace is the moment he meets Superman’s Earth mother, Martha Kent. She ironically has the same name as his own mother (just like in the comic). It is at this moment he finds a certain level of connection with Superman and he starts to see things differently.
“In a world of super heroes,” Diane Lane (Martha Kent) says, “You don’t think the stakes can get higher, but then we find out they can. It’s definitely thrilling to witness the film as the final product.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Check out Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — in theaters March 25.
I write like I think—fast, curious, and a little feral. I chase the weird, the witty, and the why-is-this-happening-now. From AI meltdowns to fashion glow-ups, if it makes you raise an eyebrow or rethink your algorithm, I’m probably writing about it. Expect sharp takes, occasional sarcasm, and zero tolerance for boring content.
