Theo Wargo/Getty ImagesBefore Ben Affleck agreed to play the caped crusader in Warner Bros.' untitled Batman-Superman movie, the 41-year-old actor was warned that his casting might create controversy. Appearing on NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Monday, Sept. 16, the actor addressed critics who were hoping to see someone else share the screen with Man of Steel's Henry Cavill.
"They called me up and said, 'Do you wanna do this?' And I thought, 'Well, I'm not 25, man. Are you sure about this?'" Affleck told host Jimmy Fallon. After discussing the tone of the film with director Zack Snyder, Affleck was on board. Before the announcement was made, however, studio executives wanted to ensure the Oscar winner knew what was at stake.
According to Affleck, the big wigs told him, "'Listen, we want to talk to you because people go through this process and it can be trying...We want to show you some of the reactions that past people who have been cast have gotten, like on the internet and stuff,'" he recalled. "[They showed me] people who were in these movies who did a great job and [commenters would] say, 'Kill him!' You can't say that before a movie comes out. It doesn't matter what you think then, it matters what you think when you see the movie."
Jennifer Garner's better half wasn't initially worried about the potential backlash. "The people from the studio were like, 'We're thrilled! And listen, we want to talk to you, because people go through this process and it can be a little trying.'"
Affleck was advised not to go online for a few days, but he did so anyway. "I said, ‘I'm a big boy. I can handle any snub. I can handle anything.'"
"I said, 'I handle s--t.' I'm very tough,'" he continued. "So, I saw the announcement, I look down the thing and I look at the first comment. The first comment goes, 'Nooooooooooooo.' I'm like, ‘We're going to be Luddites for a while, kids.'"
Affleck said he's excited to see how his three children react when they watch the movie in July 2015. "Every kid should see their dad as a superhero, right? It's so awesome, man," he said. "I'm so excited."