Batman vs. Superman: Ben Affleck Had To Be Convinced He Was Right For It

In one of his first public statements since he was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the forthcoming Batman vs. Superman film, Academy Award-winner Ben Affleck told 411 Mania that he wasn't convinced at first that he was the best choice for the role. "Initially I was reluctant as I felt I didn't fit the traditional mold," Affleck told the site. "But once Zack [Snyder] showed me the concept, and that it would be both different from the great movies that Chris and Christian made but still in keeping with tradition I was excited. Doing something different and new is always tricky and part of the thrill and the risk is that initially it confounds expectations. The truth is, it's the movie and the execution of it is what all the actors depend on and I believe in Zack's vision." Admitting that this version of Batman would be a bit more "world-weary," to steal a term from Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara, Affleck told the website that he didn't want to say much more than that, "because I want to be able to capitalize on what is new about this iteration by having it be a surprise to the audience." Batman vs. Superman is due in theaters on July 17, 2015. The film began production earlier this month, filming a college football game in which a school from Metropolis beat a school from Gotham in a low-scoring affair. Affleck is rumored to have begun filming already, and has been working out for weeks to get in shape for the role.