4 • OPINION
Monday, Sept. 16, 2013
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the telescope Focused On Palomar Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 Vol. 67, No. 2 Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif.
CLIFF IRELAND EDITOR IN CHIEF MARISSA MILLOY MANAGING EDITOR & OPINION EDITOR HEATHER RANDALL NEWS EDITOR CHRISTINE FORONDA NEWS EDITOR JORDAN GREENE OPINION EDITOR & COPY EDITOR LLOYD BRAVO A&E EDITOR SCOTT MORTON ONLINE EDITOR & SPORTS EDITOR CAROLYNE CORELIS PHOTO EDITOR ERIN HIRO ADVISER DEB HELLMAN BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF WRITERS ZANDALEE ARCINIEGA, IVAN AQUIAHUATI, ROSE MIRIAM BABIARZ, CHRIS BULLOCK, ALEXANNE BURNETT, RALPH CHOPOCO, ZACH ESTLE, JENNIFER FASULO, DANIEL GAGLIO, KEHANI GERONILLA, GENEVIEVE GREEN, PAIGE HARVEY, STEPHEN KECK, RACHEL KEENEY, JAZMINE LEONING, HAYLEY LANGDON, CESAR LOYA, RICARDO ORTEGA, JAVIER PEREZ, ARMOND PLACIDE, JOSHUA RAY, KYLE ROSA, DEMARCUS STOKELY, DAVE SHRUM, TYSON SUZUKI, CHASE VERNON, SUSAN WHALEY PHOTOGRAPHERS HARIM ARJON, SCOTT COLSON, STEVE DAVIS, JULIO-ADRIAN DE LA TORRE, STEPHANIE DURHAM, GUILLERMO ESCAMILLA, PAUL FRANCIS, JANET FRY, MARCO GONZALEZ, YOLANDA GRANADOS, MACIE GUZMAN, NIKO HOLT, SIERA HUFF, CORI JEPSEN, EMILY LAURANCE, ABBY MORA, CAITLYN NEAL, XENIA SPATACEAN, LUCAS SPENSER, FRANCOIS SWART, COURTNEY TOMESCH, LUCY WHEELER, LEI YAP
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Illustration by Carolyne Corelis/Telescope
PRO
CON
Ben is Batman History will repeat JENNIFER FASULO THE TELESCOPE
Since the release of Actor Ben Affleck’s casting as the caped crusader, the question on everyone’s lips has been: can Affleck play Batman? That answer, is yes. During the 2013 Comic Con, Warner Bros. announced Batman would be joining Superman in an upcoming film to be titled either Batman vs. Superman or Superman vs. Batman. Henry Cavill will be returning as the Man of Steel, with Affleck playing Batman. Reactions to the casting are mixed, but four simple reasons prove the decision is the right one.
1. A mature, classic Batman
Since his first appearance in Detective Comics back in 1939, Batman has been an iconic character in the comic book world and in pop culture. After the success of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” trilogy and the praise of Christian Bales’ performance as Batman, fans are concerned Affleck will not live up to the standard. He will. Traditionally, by the time Superman and Batman cross paths, we’re dealing with an older, mature, more experienced Bruce Wayne, much in contrary to Bale’s “Dark Knight.” From his more mature look to his age, to his experience, this makes Affleck a perfect candidate because he embodies that very trait this Batman needs.
2. Daredevil is irrelevant
One of the bigger arguments over why Affleck apparently cannot and should not play Batman is his acting past. My answer to that? Let it go. Sure, he played “Daredevil,”
another comic book superhero, and yeah, he bombed, but the whole movie did. In this case we’re dealing with director Zac Snyder, producer Christopher Nolan, and an Affleck who has grown and won a second Academy Award since. We cannot base his ability to play Batman off an overall failed attempt at a “Daredevil” movie. Let us not forget the similar reaction to the casting of “Broke Back Mountain” star Heath Ledger as The Joker. People had the same reaction of disbelief and yet Ledger’s performance turned out to be legendary.
3. A perfect Bruce Wayne
Opponents claim Affleck simply lacks the quality that is Batman. How? Not only does Affleck perfectly fit the role of Bruce Wayne, an integral part of the character, but he’s a good actor. He’s a comic book fan and his previous and upcoming roles prove that he can play hero (Argo), he can play wealthy (Runner, Runner) and he can play action (The Town).
4. An ideal contrast
Affleck provides the perfect contrast to Henry Cavill. Superman and Batman are infamous for their conflict. Yes, they eventually mend their differences enough to fight alongside each other, but even in the Justice League, the two keep their distance. The movie title has a “vs” in it, confirming that the two heroes will be reviving their classic feud. Affleck is the perfect foil to Cavill’s young, buff, rough around the edges Superman. JFASULO@THE-TELESCOPE.COM
SUSAN WHALEY THE TELESCOPE
The choice has been made, and there is no turning Baffleck now. After the announcement that Ben Affleck is going to take on the iconic role of Bruce Wayne, Facebook and Twitter exploded in response, mostly with negative feedback. A petition was signed by 75,000 unhappy fans to get Affleck off the next Batman movie, to be released Summer 2015. Can Affleck fill this iconic role with an essence of duality which exists between action superhero Batman and wealthy and mysterious Bruce Wayne? Ben Affleck will be a more mature version of Batman, which is needed for the upcoming sequel to Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel,” but there are other options in the world of actors. James Purefoy is a versatile choice. His experience ranges from films such as “Resident Evil” (sci-fi action) and “A Knight’s Tale” (chivalrous and humble) to television series such as “Rome” (powerful). Having a not-sowell-known actor is the best way to capture the true image of the Batman because he is not tainted by typecasting. “Daredevil” came to theaters in 2003 and was not received well by movie goers or comic book fans. Affleck was unsuccessful as a Marvel superhero, and now he is taking the role of another masked protagonist from DC Comics. Affleck’s past films do matter because we have already seen him fail as a popular comic book character. Affleck’s image is established as Daredevil, and now Batman fans are supposed to wipe their memories clean to place him
Having a high paid and even talented actor as a cultural icon is not always better.
as the face, or chin, of Batman. Affleck also lacks the qualities of both Batman and Bruce Wayne. Critically-acclaimed movies such as “The Town” and “Argo” are set in modern times and are not a basis to claim that Affleck will suffice as a legendary superhero. “The Town” has action, and “Argo” has intensity, but there are no movies (besides “Daredevil”) that Affleck performs in a world of fantasy. Batman is a pop culture image millions of film fans and comics fans will carry with them through the Zack Snyder era. Having a high paid and even talented actor as a cultural icon is not always better. Henry Cavill, who played Superman in “Man of Steel,” will be sharing the screen with A-list celebrity Affleck. This is not an ideal pair for two superheroes leading the way toward the Justice League movies because Affleck’s flat, yet prettyboy performance will not contrast well with sturdy Cavill. Fans are crossing their bat wings across the globe that Affleck will prevail. If not, Clark Kent might have to travel around the earth so fast that he is able to go back in time to get a better Batman. SWHALEY@THE-TELESCOPE.COM