For an actor endlessly rumored to be sick of the comic book movie scene, Ben Affleck had more fun than his lone Justice League panel. It was during the presentation of new Justice League footage that the star put the rumors of his disinterest to rest, assuring fans with enthusiasm that Ben Affleck will keep playing Batman for as long as the studio will have him. The rumor mill just kept on running, but plenty of concerned fans breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Affleck express just how much he's enjoying the role of a lifetime. And during his visit to San Diego Comic-Con, he got even closer to his fans - walking the floor of the convention hall in disguise.
Prior to the Justice League cast's arrival, the rumors surged claiming that Ben Affleck was, as previously reported, looking for a way out of the DCEU's Batman movie future. Photos of the cast arriving with wide grins continued into an energetic welcome in Hall H, where Affleck seemed to put the nail in the gossip coffin by stating that he was "The luckiest guy in the world" to get to play Batman. And as it turns out, Affleck took the opportunity to dive into the Comic-Con crowds... not quite as stealthy as he may have hoped.
The decision to wear a green t-shirt emblazoned with the face of Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch was an inspired one, as was the stunning mask worn to conceal his face. But where past DCEU stars had found success blending in with the crowd - like Henry Cavill meeting the Suicide Squad in disguise - Affleck has it a bit harder. When you're standing at 6'4" and weighing in at easily over 200 lbs of muscle... a shirt and mask can only do so much.
Which is how you get noticed by Instagram user 'stang02mu' (via Reddit) in the video below:
Despite just how clearly Affleck stands out (the uploader confirms they saw the actor put on the mask) his disguise seems to have gone otherwise unnoticed. Security appears to be alongside him in the footage, so it's unclear just how much of the show floor Affleck went on to see. But even in the most practical scenario - Affleck needed a way of departing the DC Comics booth without being mobbed by attendees - special credit has to be given to the person who came up with the Sesame Street shirt and unnerving mask.
This glimpse of the lighter side of comic book movie fandom and the stars who earn it won't change the conversation surrounding Affleck's future, since the cloud of critical derision still hangs over the DCEU and Zack Snyder (no matter the box office success). Knowing that, it's perhaps even nicer for fans to see that Affleck is keeping a sense of humor about his role away from the cameras. Assuming this footage was recorded after Affleck and the rest of the Justice League cast signed autographs at the DC booth, the video of the event shows it was a somewhat emotional one, with a number of memorable encounters with DCEU fans.
Now that we think about it, that Sesame Street shirt might just be a normal staple of Ben Affleck's fatherly wardrobe. We're still hoping the mask was a new purchase for this occasion.