Ben Affleck as 'Batman' Response: Wife and Former Comic Book Heroine Jennifer Garner Excited for Role
Despite criticism from fans, Jennifer Garner is excited for her husband, Ben Affleck, to play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel.
"You know, I was excited for him," Garner said in an interview MTV News while at the Toronto Film Festival. "I was excited because he had a real take on what he wanted to do, and, you know, I have to say, my husband is a pretty great storyteller himself, and I'm excited to watch him do it."
MTV News asked the actress if she has heard Affleck's Batman voice yet. The question is relevant considering the dramatically raspy voice Christian Bale used during his tenure as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan's Batman film trilogy.
"I hear every voice," Garner responded.
Affleck will portray Bruce Wayne in the first ever Superman film to feature the Caped Crusader. He will star opposite Henry Cavill, who is reprising his role as Clark Kent.
Garner first met Affleck during the filming of 2003's Daredevil, where Affleck also played a superhero. After the film, Garner and Affleck began dating and married in 2005.
As Affleck's wife, Garner might be a little bit bias about the casting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, however, who played the Robin-esque character of Officer Blake in the Dark Knight Rises (the final film in Nolan's trilogy) agrees despite not being as close to Affleck.
"That's gonna be great," Gordon-Levitt told E! News.
E! News continued to press Gordon-Levitt 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."
A petition formed on Change.org to get Affleck replaced. The petition currently has over 93 thousand signatures, more than 56 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."
Filming for the Man of Steel sequels begins early 2014 and will be released July 2015.
Garner will star in Dallas Buyers Club, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and co-stars Matthew McConaughey. The film has received positive reviews and will be in theaters Nov. 1.