Ben Affleck Calls Batman Costumes “Horrendous”

Even though Ben Affleck liked playing Batman, he certainly doesn’t seem to miss wearing the iconic batsuit, as he described it as “horrendous.” Ben Affleck played Bruce Wayne / Batman in the DCEU films Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Justice League, and The Flash. Despite the initial fan reaction to Affleck’s casting being overwhelmingly negative, the same audience that initially rejected him eventually came to embrace his depiction of the Caped Crusader and still wants him to return to the role. Yet Affleck certainly doesn’t sound nostalgic about putting on the cape and cowl again.

Speaking with GQ about his expansive career, when the subject of 2023’s The Flash came up, Affleck was asked if that film had his favorite Batsuit. Affleck revealed that he hated wearing not just that Batman costume but all of them, describing them as “horrendous to wear” and “the least fun part” of playing the iconic superhero. Affleck noted how incredibly hot the costume gets, especially since the cowl conceals the heat. He said that his fellow Batman actors like Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson might have had a better time, but he was miserable. Affleck detailed his experience, saying:

“I hated the batsuits. The batsuits are horrendous to wear. They’re incredibly hot, for one thing. They don’t breathe. They’re made to look the way they want ‘em to look, and there’s no thought put into the human being and so what happens is you just start sweating. Now I’m already — I sweat, you know what I mean? I get hot and so in that thing, you would just be pouring water because it’s got the cowl over it. Like, there’s one thing to wear the suit, but once you cover your head, I guess that’s where all your heat kind of escapes and you feel it.

Even the most highly-trained, much more fit stunt guys, the parkour guys, the action guys, they could do that for about like 45, 50 minutes and then they’re like gonna get heat stroke. So you had to come out of it. And that was really the thing was that it just made it difficult to make the movie because it was so hot. And it also does not make you feel very heroic because you’re instantly exhausted and really sweaty and kinda trying to hide like, the sweat pouring down your face. Like, ‘No, we can go again, I’m fine, I’m good,’ And then there’ll be like — eye black is like, running.”

Batman’s Costumes Have Always Been a Problem for Actors

While Batman’s costume is one of the most iconic superhero suits, it has also faced a challenging problem from filmmakers. From Michael Keaton being unable to turn his head to Val Kilmer and George Clooney’s bat nipples, wearing the Batman costume has often been challenging. It wasn’t until The Dark Knight that the filmmakers found a way for Batman to turn his head. Even Robert Pattinson’s Batman costume is heavily armored compared to the comic book incarnation.

Affleck’s Batman underwent several costume changes. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice featured a classic suit and an armored look directly inspired by The Dark Knight Returns. Both the theatrical cut and Zack Snyder’s Justice League feature an armored Batman costume that resembles the Night Owl from Watchmen. The Flash put Affleck’s Batman in the iconic blue-and-gray color scheme from the comics, but kept the Batman v. Superman design.

Given how much Affleck hated wearing the Batman costume, it’s certainly not surprising that he dropped out of directing, writing, and starring in his planned solo Batman film, which eventually morphed into The Batman. His problems wearing the costume, combined with his personal issues at the time, would likely have made filming the DCEU Batman movie a miserable experience. Affleck has since moved on from the Batman role and seems very happy with his career. It is now time for fans of his incarnation to accept that and move on as well.

Source: GQ

The Flash

Release Date

June 16, 2023

Runtime

2 hours 24 minutes

Franchise(s)

DC Extended Universe