What Would Lincoln Say About Ben Affleck Being Cast as Batman? [Opinion]

Lots of people have opinions on Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman, but what does our most famous president think about it?

Last week, it was announced that Warner Bros has finally decided who would play Batman in the Batman vs. Superman movie: Ben Affleck.

There was a ton of speculation beforehand with everyone from Josh Brolin to Jeffrey Dean Morgan being considered for the role.

The announcement was made by Warner Bros. Pictures representatives Greg
Silverman and Sue Kroll. “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to
take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular super heroes, and Ben
Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some,” Greg Silverman,
president of creative development at Warner Bros., said in a statement.
“His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and
Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”

Man of Steel has grossed more than  $650 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

“Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman.” director Zack Snyder told The Wrap, “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 retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce
Wayne.  I can’t wait to work with him.”

Man of Steel 2, known by the working title Batman vs. Superman, is slated to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.

This weekend, the Internet exploded with fans expressing outrage over the casting choice. The twitter hashtag #BetterBatmanThanBenAffleck peaked at 400 tweets an hour with people suggesting everyone from Vanilla Ice to Oprah Winfrey.

While we can’t ask the 16th President of the United States exactly what
he thinks because he’s been dead for decades. But, we can guess what he would think
thanks to relevant quotes that point to his frame of mind.

So what would Abraham Lincoln say?

“A house divided against itself cannot
stand.” – Abraham Lincoln

We either support superhero movies or we don’t. Superhero movies as a
genre are successful, but face an extreme amount of scrutiny. Geeks and
nerds naturally like to have strong opinions, and there’s nothing wrong
with that. But if we already talking about avoiding Man of Steel
2 there won’t be a Man of Steel 3 and no one really wants that.

Abraham Lincoln would say we need to come together as a community and give
superhero movies a chance. It might suck, but we can at least wait till we see a trailer.

“Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham
Lincoln

Playing a major superhero like Batman is a heavy responsibility. Some
actors have handled it well. For example, Christian Bale is the most
gracious Batman actor ever. He kindly gives his free-time to inspire
kids as Batman while still
having a successful acting career with other roles.

Others haven’t
fared so well. While Adam West is an excellent Batman, the role
destroyed his career. George Clooney played Batman in Batman
& Robin and has been mocked for the rest of his career. Not that it
hurt him much.

How would Ben
Affleck handle it? He’s seen both ends of a career. He’s an acclaimed
Academy Award winning actor and the guy that played in Gigli. He’s
played Daredevil and George
Reeves’ Superman. He’s handled both with style and grace. Setting up a
charity when he was on top and building a reputation as a successful
director when he was on the bottom.

Abraham Lincoln would say we need an actor that can
handle the success of playing Batman or the failure if the movie tanks.
Affleck is that man.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree
and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

The best Batman actors showed dedication to the role. We need a Batman
actor that is willing to work hard to prepare for a role. When Affleck
was
cast as Daredevil he read every single issue. Granted he was already a
huge fan of the character, but that shows dedication. He worked with
stunt coordinators and personal trainers to get a superhero body.

There are rumors that
Affleck has already started working out two hours a day with a personal
trainer. We need a Batman actor with dedication and Affleck is willing to put in the work.

Abraham Lincoln would say we need an actor that’s willing to put in the work to make the movie as good as he can.

“He has a right to criticize, who has
a heart to help.” – Abraham Lincoln

While many are quick to criticize the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman,
the reality is that there is little they can do to help with the
situation.

Abraham Lincoln would say if enough fans come together to give advice we can help
him be a better Batman. Otherwise we should just shut up.

“Every person is responsible for his
own looks after 40.”-
Abraham Lincoln
Ben Affleck looks great at 41. The studio wanted to counter-balance
Henry Cavill’s youthful appearance with an older Batman. If they’d cast
Abe Vigoda, they’d have gone too far.

Abraham Lincoln would say Affleck’s taken care of himself,
but still has the look of an older and wise man.

“War at the best, is terrible, and this war of ours, in its magnitude
and in its duration, is one of the most terrible.” – Abraham Lincoln

We need a Batman that knows the horror of the war on crime.

Ben Affleck has played a soldier in movies like Pearl Harbor, but it’s
what he’s done in his personal life that will help him play Batman as the
world-weary crimefighter. After filming the movie Argo, which
told of the brutality in Iran during the 1970s he testified before congress about what
he’s seen in the Democratic Replublic of Congo in Africa.

Affleck helped create the Eastern Congo Initiative after seeing the
devastation left by the civil war. Over 5
million people have been killed over the last 12 years. He even got a humanitarian award
for his work. They said his “foresight, courage and leadership” helped
him “take a stand against extreme injustice, intolerance and
inequalities”.

Abraham Lincoln would say
Affleck is a man who’s seen the horrors of war and is a hero fighting
for justice in real life. That will come through in his performance

What do you think? Is Lincoln right? Is Ben Affleck the right choice to play Batman?

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