Ben Affleck’s Batman is arguably the most divisive cinematic take on the character, yet there are several DCEU Snyderverse moments that prove Affleck’s Batman nailed several aspects of the hero. The first live-action Batman iteration since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Affleck’s Batman had the difficult mission of replacing a widely praised Batman now as part of a shared universe. Though the idea was for Affleck to be the DCEU’s Batman for years, which would have included a solo Batman movie written and directed by Affleck, the DCEU's Batman's run was limited to two movies, a cameo in Suicide Squad, and what seems to be a sendoff in The Flash.
Despite the lack of a solo movie, Ben Affleck’s Batman delivered some moments that had never been seen in previous Batman films. From the Bat-suit to the world around Bruce, the Snyderverse’s Batman could not have been more different from Nolan’s or Burton’s, which was a good thing. Here are seven moments that highlight how good of an adaptation of Ben Affleck’s Batman was regardless of the divisive story decisions.
7 Bruce Wayne Runs Toward The Destruction During Zod’s Invasion
Though retcons can often be complicated, starting Batman v Superman with the events of Man of Steel’s final battle told through Bruce Wayne’s perspective worked. Though he didn't suit up and actively engage in the Superman vs. Zod fight, Bruce was around as Man of Steel’s terraform process began. Seeing a relatively powerless Bruce Wayne trying to help people during the destruction of Metropolis without using a suit or a ship was as Batman as it could get, even more so when Bruce ran toward a falling building when everyone else was running away from it.
6 Batman’s Stealth Introduction In Batman v Superman
Ben Affleck’s Batman suit for Batman v Superman was the first to go for a grey vest rather than the usual all-black armor that had become a tradition since Tim Burton’s Batman. Not only did that offer a visually distinct Batman, but it also allowed the Zack Snyder film to be more creative when it comes to how agile or stealth Batman could be. This was highlighted right off the start with Ben Affleck’s Batman’s first suited-up scene in Batman v Superman. In a moment taken out of a horror movie, Batman reveals himself as a creature crawling up the walls, scaring everyone in the room.
Given the James Bond-like approach to Batman used during Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, especially in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, the idea that Batman should be absolutely scary had been lost a little. This was something Tim Burton’s first Batman movie understood and that Snyder recaptured with Affleck’s Batman. Granted, Batman crossed lines in Batman v Superman, but regardless of the divisive creative decisions, Affleck’s Batman's visual identity nailed what the Dark Knight is supposed to feel like. Batman’s voice modulator and alternate suits also contributed to that effect, but it all traces back to Batman’s perfect stealth introduction scene.
5 Batman’s Preparation Sequence In Batman v Superman
The idea that Batman can do anything with enough preparation time is often played out as a joke, especially when it is used to justify how the Dark Knight beat this or that character in the comics. Still, Batman using science and technology to take on an enemy is an essential part of the character that had not really been explored in live-action movies. Batman v Superman’s Bruce Wayne training montage sees the character physically prepare himself to fight Superman while also conducting research with Kryptonite. Each of the gadgets Batman comes up with during the montage is later paid off during the Superman and Doosmday fights.
4 Batman v Superman’s Warehouse Scene
From Tim Burton’s Batman to The Dark Knight Rises, no Batman movie had ever come to close to portraying how good of a fighter Batman is supposed to be. Keaton’s Bat-Armor would not even let Batman move his neck; Kilmer and Clooney’s Batman films revisited the character’s campiness, which removed any sort of weight from the fight scenes, and Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy never really focused on the fight scenes. Compared to the Batman comic book readers or those who knew the Dark Knight from other media like animation and video games, the cinematic versions of Batman seemed like a very different character when it comes to fighting skills.
Batman v Superman’s warehouse scene, in which Batman takes out dozens of enemies before rescuing Superman’s mother, Martha Kent, finally broke the tradition of subpar Batman fighting scenes. Between dodges and punches, seeing Batman fight in Batman v Superman’s warehouse sequence felt like Batman Arkham gameplay coming to life, with Batman using multiple skills to fight from one to four opponents at the same time. Rather than using quick cuts to add more speed to Batman’s moves like it had been done in the Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v Superman’s warehouse scene made it all easy to follow on-screen, resulting in an instant classic Batman movie moment.
3 Batman Takes On Doomsday
Perhaps what best sets Affleck’s Batman apart from all other versions is that Batman v Superman placed Bruce Wayne in a world where aliens, magic, and metahumans exist. For the first time in Batman’s movie history, the Dark Knight was now interacting with beings far more powerful than him, which is commonplace in the comics but had never been incorporated in live-action. The comic-bookish approach to Ben Affleck’s Batman suit and gadgets made his fight with Superman more believable, but it was really during Batman v Superman’s Doomsday fight that Batman saw himself in an unprecedented situation. Not even Alfred could quite explain what was happening.
Batman taking on aliens, gods, and monsters happens quite often in the comics, yet it seemed like something impossible to adapt to live-action. Fortunately, with Batman v Superman taking place in a world far less realistic than the one from the Dark Knight trilogy, there was no limit as to what Batman could or could not do. That said, Batman struggled against Doomsday, as there was not something the caped crusader could do against the Kryptonian monster other than trying to shoot it with kryptonite. Still, just seeing Batman trying to come up with strategies on the spot to fight Doomsday was already a highlight of Affleck’s Batman run.
2 Batman Visits Lex Luthor
Another example of the scariness associated with Batman that is often forgotten in the movies is Batman v Superman’s ending sequence, which sees the Dark Knight paying Lex Luthor a visit in prison. Though Luthor is far from being a Batman villain, there is an interesting dynamic between Superman’s greatest nemesis and Batman in the comics as well as in animated series like the DC Animated Universe’s Justice League. Lex was sort of a Batman villain throughout Batman v Superman, which led to their final confrontation in the ending. The scene’s atmosphere, with Batman appearing out of nowhere, once again felt like something from a comic or a game.
1 Batman Joins The Justice League At The Flying Fox
The DCEU's Batman is quite divisive, especially in Batman v Superman. That said, Zack Snyder’s Justice League paid off, or at least found a satisfying conclusion, to Ben Affleck’s Batman arc. In Batman v Superman, Bruce completely lost his trust in humanity and in what Batman represents, a consequence of both Robin’s death and Zod’s invasion. Bruce finally faced his cynicism during the infamous Martha scene, in which Batman realized he had become the very thing he had sworn to fight. Bruce’s change was summarized at the moment Batman joined the Justice League at the Flying Fox, with Bruce telling Alfred he had “faith” that things would work.
