Continue Celebrating BATMAN's 80th With This Look At Ben Affleck's 10 Best And 5 Worst Moments In The DCEU

Ben Affleck's time as Batman was relatively short but he certainly made an impact! Now, as we continue celebrating the hero's 80th birthday, here are his ten best (and five worst) moments in the DCEU...

By JoshWilding - Sep 22, 2019 12:09 PM EST

Filed Under: Batman

After being cast in what was then an untitled Man of Steel sequel, Ben Affleck would go on to play the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League (three critically panned movies which didn't end up meeting expectations at the box office, for the most part).

It's no great surprise that the actor has chosen to walk away from the DC Extended Universe and Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves ultimately chose Robert Pattinson as the new Caped Crusader for The Batman ready for its 2021 release.

However, while Affleck's time as Batman was definitely rocky for him as an actor, there's no denying that he got a lot of great moments in the DCEU. There were also some which were downright awful, and we're taking a look at all of these today as we delve into his best and worst moments as the iconic DC Comics superhero.

So, to take a look at this breakdown, all you guys have to do is hit the "View List" button below.

BEST MOMENTS

Running Into Danger

When we first met Ben Affleck's Batman, it was as Bruce Wayne. In a superb sequence which showed us Superman's battle with General Zod from a very different perspective, Bruce raced through the streets of Metropolis in order to get to his employees in Wayne Enterprises.

It ultimately proves to be for nought as the building collapses and he's left fishing bodies out of the rubble. This did a great job of introducing us to the DCEU's Batman and at least offered some insight into why the Caped Crusader would later feel that the best way to deal with Superman would be to put him down once and for all.

Kicking Superman's Ass

Say what you will about Batman v Superman, but watching Bruce utilise any number of gadgets in order to give him an advantage over the Man of Steel was definitely satisfying, while watching him kick Clark Kent's ass was a real treat for any fan of Gotham City's protector.

Whether it was him smashing a sink over Superman's head or swinging him around that abandoned warehouse like he was nothing, Batman really proved here that despite being just a man, he really is one of the best fighters in the world and far more formidable than Supes when they're put on the same level.

The Warehouse Scene

I did have one major issue with this sequence but I'll get to that in the "Worst" section of this feature. For now, though, let's just talk about how insanely badass it was seeing the Dark Knight totally decimate these guys in a fight scene that felt like it was torn straight out of the pages of the comic books.

Batman is always supposed to be the biggest badass in the room and that was most definitely on show here. No matter how Affleck is remembered as the character moving forward, I think it's only right for this to be remembered as one of the best Batman fight scenes to ever grace the big screen...well, for the most part (more on that later).

The Gadgets

The earlier Batman movies were held back by the time period they were made in, while Christopher Nolan very much went for a realistic and grounded aesthetic with The Dark Knight Trilogy. Zack Snyder, however, really embraced the gadgetry from the comic books we all know and love the character for using.

Whether it was the grenades full of Kryptonite or the Batarangs which became a vital part of his arsenal, Affleck's Batman didn't shy away from whipping out some badass tech.

Robin

Despite the fact that it was spoiled in the movie's trailers, it was still awesome to see Bruce Wayne looking at Robin's defaced costume in the Batcave. While it would have been nice to get a little more context, seeing the costume which once belonged to Batman's sidekick the way we did told us a lot about his attitude and hinted at a dark moment in his past.

It's a shame that we never got to learn more about what happened and even more annoying that Snyder would later reveal that the suit belonged to Dick Grayson rather than Jason Todd. Despite that, this reference to the events of "Death in the Family" was appreciated by comic book fans and gave Affleck's Batman some much-needed history.

Inspiring The Flash

Batman didn't really get that many standout moments in Justice League, but this scene really emphasised what a great hero the character can be when he's given the chance to shine on the big screen.

When Barry Allen finds himself overwhelmed by the responsibility suddenly on his shoulders, Batman takes him to one side and explains why saving just one person can make all the difference and inspires the Scarlet Speedster to be the hero the Dark Knight knows he can be. It's a great mentor/mentee moment, and it's a shame we won't see this relationship continue to develop.

A Noble Sacrifice

Justice League's final battle was a bit of a mess but there's one thing that stands out as a highlight for Batman, in particular. That was obviously when he decided to sacrifice himself to give the rest of the team the opportunity to take down Steppenwolf once and for all.

Batman has always been the kind of hero who is willing to lay his life down on the line for others so Zack Snyder (Joss Whedon?) deserves a lot of credit for finding a way to include that, even if it was ultimately just a very small part of the movie.

THAT Suit

Snyder was clearly inspired by the work of Frank Miller when it came to bringing Batman to the big screen and getting to see the armoured suit from The Dark Knight Returns in live-action was a definite highlight and probably not something we'll see again for a very long time (especially based on what we know about Matt Reeves' plans for the hero).

The filmmaker did an incredible job of bringing the suit to life and watching Affleck kick Superman's butt while wearing it was unbelievably cool, and something I don't think any of us will forget for a long time to come.

Confronting Lex Luthor

We got a lengthier version of this scene in the extended cut of Batman v Superman but regardless of which one you first watched, there's no getting around the fact that this frightening version of the Dark Knight was amazing to witness on screen.

After Lex Luthor orchestrated the death of Superman, Batman got his revenge on the villain by telling him that he would be sent to Arkham Asylum. It's disappointing that we didn't get to see more of how Lex ultimately escaped that fate (and Batman's reaction to it). Regardless, this was good fun and a nice tease for a story that ultimately didn't play out.

Knightmare

Taking aside how confusing and out of place this all felt, I loved the Knightmare sequence as it was ambitious, intriguing, and a lot of fun seeing Batman in such unique surroundings. While we've since heard that this is where Justice League 2 or 3 would have taken place, watching the Caped Crusader battle these Parademons in a post-apocalyptic future was really badass and a blast from start to finish.

It would have been good to spend more time here before Batman was so easily taken down by Superman's soldiers and the Parademons, but this sequence definitely sticks in my mind as a highlight of Affleck's tenure as the character.

WORST MOMENTS

Psycho Killer

There has been a lot of debate about this scene but, in my opinion, there's no two ways about it: as awesome as this sequence may have been to watch play out, Batman brutally murdered a number of criminals and crossed a line that this particular character never should.

He broke bones, shot people, and even blew a couple of them up. It was absolutely brutal and while Zack Snyder may have thought this all made sense for the world-weary Bat, it was too much of a departure from the comics and not something the vast majority of fans wanted to see from a superhero who is supposed to have a "no-kill" policy.

"Something Is Definitely Bleeding"

There's nothing wrong with Batman being funny but Joss Whedon's brand of humour really wasn't a good fit for the Dark Knight. After taking a (brief) beating from the Man of Steel, the hero pulls himself off the ground and quips, "Something is definitely bleeding."

It was a weird and unnecessary moment, and one that made this Batman feel far removed from the badass we all know and love from the comic books. As brief as this scene may have been, it was so incredibly lame, it's one that's become extremely hard to forget.

The Martha Scene ('Nuff Said)

I'm pretty sure that I could leave this page blank and you'd know what was wrong with this scene from Batman v Superman. This didn't bother me as much as most, but the murderous Batman not killing the Man of Steel because he said his mother's name was a baffling and forced moment which has since been widely ridiculed (and understandably so).

Martha Wayne had been dead for decades when this battle took place, so why would Batman react to Superman saying her name in such an extreme way? Did he think that Superman had information about her whereabouts because she had somehow been resurrected? Whatever the answer may be, this was just plain weird.

(Briefly) Kissing Harley Quinn

Batman's appearance in Suicide Squad was definitely something of a disappointment, but even worse than that lame-ass fight with Deadshot was the moment the Caped Crusader seemingly started enjoying kissing Harley Quinn. Wait, what?

Upon realising that The Joker's right-hand woman was seemingly not breathing, the hero started administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. However, Harley immediately sprung to life and started kissing Batman, something he went with for at least a second or two. I'm not sure what this scene was getting across, but what a disappointment the first live-action meeting between them was.

Bruce Wayne: Asshole

Batman has always been something of a douche, but his personality has been all over the place in the DCEU. One of his worst moments came when he made that crack about Steve Trevor, though. There was absolutely no need for it and it felt like one of those references shoehorned in just to pay a wink and a nod to a movie that had come out a few months earlier.

Throw in the fact that his first answer to the Superman problem was to kill the guy (despite the fact he'd quite publicly saved a huge number of people) and Affleck's version of Bruce Wayne was definitely not someone it was easy to root for for the vast majority of the time we spent with him.

What were your favourite and least favourite Batfleck moments in the DCEU? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section down below.

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100 Comments

1 2 3

Odin - 9/22/2019, 12:29 PM

I will always long for the Batfleck solo-movie we never got.

HeavyMetal4Life - 9/22/2019, 12:39 PM

BEST MOMENTS

- Running Into Danger

- Warehouse Scene

WORST MOMENTS

- Everything else

Nightwing1015 - 9/22/2019, 12:41 PM

Now that I actually look at it again...what the hell is DCEU Robin holding? That looks like the dumbest weapon in comic books. What was wrong with a simple staff?

knighted - 9/22/2019, 2:19 PM

@Nightwing1015 - Snyder had robin running around with a spear. Where was the person to say Robin wouldnt use a weapon like that.

MrDandy - 9/22/2019, 1:01 PM

He was one of the best parts of Batman v Superman despite the film doing a horrible job of writing with the character. Affleck managed to elevate the material. The same cannot be said about his other appearances, especially in Justice League.

gordonh7 - 9/22/2019, 1:21 PM

The nightmare scene was actually supposed to be in the first Justice League film. The original script for Justice League was completely different. Warner Brothers had the script re-written after Batman v Superman didn't go down to well with critics and fans.

Comicbookart - 9/22/2019, 1:25 PM

Knightmare scene was terrible, made no sense, and was a sequence that took away precious time from an already convoluted movie.

They could have used those minutes to actually have some character development, have Bats, Supes and Wonderwoman, I don't know... actually have a conversation and get to know each other! smh. Instead we get dream sequence bullshit.

The warehouse scene was good. And that's about it for Batfleck.

Can't wait for Battinson.

TheBlueMorpho - 9/22/2019, 1:30 PM

As funny as these comments are I still would have liked to have seen Affleck properly finish out his time as Batman.

1 2 3

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Continue Celebrating BATMAN's 80th With This Look At Ben Affleck's 10 Best And 5 Worst Moments In The DCEU

Ben Affleck's time as Batman was relatively short but he certainly made an impact! Now, as we continue celebrating the hero's 80th birthday, here are his ten best (and five worst) moments in the DCEU...

BEST MOMENTS Running Into Danger

Kicking Superman's Ass

The Warehouse Scene

The Gadgets

Robin

Inspiring The Flash

A Noble Sacrifice

THAT Suit

Confronting Lex Luthor

Knightmare

WORST MOMENTS Psycho Killer

"Something Is Definitely Bleeding"

The Martha Scene ('Nuff Said)

(Briefly) Kissing Harley Quinn

Bruce Wayne: Asshole

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BEST MOMENTS

Running Into Danger

WORST MOMENTS

Psycho Killer