Ben Affleck Batman Is 'Gonna Be Great' Says TDKR's Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt approves of Ben Affleck taking over the role of Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel.
Warner Bros. recently announced that Affleck, 41, will play Bruce Wayne in the Man of Steel opposite Henry Cavill who will continue to portray Clark Kent. Gordon-Levitt, who played Detective Blake in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, thinks Affleck will wear the cape well.
"That's gonna be great," Gordon-Levitt told E! News.
E! News continued to press Gordon-Levitt, 32, about his opinions, citing the amount of fan backlash that came after the announcement. Still, Gordon-Levitt seemed to be on-board with Affleck's new role.
"Oh, but it's gonna be good," Gordon-Levitt said. "I think it's gonna be good."
Many do not agree.
The internet has been plagued by attempts by disappointed fans to remove Affleck from the film. Hours after the announcement, #betterbatmanthanaffleck began trending on Twitter.
A petition was also formed on Change.org to get a new actor cast. The petition currently has over 67 thousand signatures, seven thousand away from its goal.
"His acting skill is not even close to being believable as Bruce Wayne, and he won't do the role justice," John Roden, creator of the petition, said. "He's not intimidating enough for the role of Batman. Batman is someone that strikes fear into the hearts of men. His portrayal of Daredevil was atrocious, and he's not remotely close to an action star or a superhero."
Roden, however, does not appear to have a personal vendetta against Affleck.
"I would like to add that this petition was not meant in anyway to harm Ben Affleck or his career," Roden said. "I respect Affleck's work. I just feel he is inappropriate for the role."
Zach Snyder, who is slated to direct the 2015 film, stands by his decision.
"Ben provides an interesting counterbalance to Henry's Superman," Snyder said. "He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime-fighter, but retains the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne."
Gordon-Levitt will appear with Scarlet Johansson in Don Jon, which will be released Sept. 27.