While Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson may have their fair share of fans as Batman, for Jennifer Garner, there is no debate: Ben Affleck is the best superhero. The former couple first met on the set of Pearl Harbor, but it wasn’t until they starred in Daredevil together that their friendship blossomed into romance.
The chemistry between Affleck and Garner on screen was palpable, but it was their real-life connection that truly strengthened their status as a Hollywood power couple. From their fairytale wedding in 2005 to the birth of their three beautiful children, the ex-pair seemed to have it all.
Sadly, they split up in 2015, and despite all of the amazing times they shared during their ten years of marriage, they ultimately decided to get a divorce in 2018.
A Decade of Dark Knights: Pattinson vs. Bale—Who Wears the Cowl Better?
The most common discussion regarding the Dark Knight’s films is about which live-action Batman actor is the best, mainly because there have been so many different takes on the character.
Of the many actors who have played Batman on screen, a handful stand out as fan favorites. These actors include Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton. Fans rank the actors according to a variety of criteria, such as their ability to balance the roles of Bruce Wayne and Batman, their ability to fight as their characters, their voice, and more.
For a lot of Batman enthusiasts, Bale and Pattinson—the most recent actor to don the cowl—are in a two-bat race. Let’s have a look at some of the fans’ comments and preferences via X:
Holy fuckin shit Robert Pattinson giving Christian Bale a run for his money. This movie is absolutely brutal!!! pic.twitter.com/dTjhGkblI2
— Himothy Turner (@davidFRSH) March 4, 2022
Whatever happens in Batman, Robert Pattinson will never come within even a sniff of Christian Bale as Batman
— Abs (@abs_2811) March 4, 2022
Yeah but Christian bales my guy, literally nobody can chat to him
— Abs (@abs_2811) March 4, 2022
Nothing against Robert Pattinson but to me,Christian Bale is etched forever as the Batman😍❤️
— निर्दयी✨ (@Nirdayiii) March 4, 2022
My apologies to Ben Affleck and Christian Bale, but Robert Pattinson is *the* Batman.
Holy shit.
— Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) March 4, 2022
After appearing in Batman Begins in 2005, Bale returned to Gotham City in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). On the other hand, Affleck wore the Batsuit in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, marking his entry into the new DC Extended Universe.
While the lively debate rages among fans of the Caped Crusaders, for the radiant Jennifer Garner, there’s simply no contest—her former husband wins the mantle, hands down!
Ben Affleck: Jennifer Garner’s Superhero Preference Reigns Supreme
When Ben Affleck took on the role of Batman in the DC Extended Universe, fans were skeptical. But for Jennifer Garner, there was no doubt in her mind that he was the perfect fit for the iconic superhero. “He’s your basic tall, dark and handsome. He’s it”, the Elektra actress, 52, gushed about her ex-spouse (via PEOPLE). She further added:
I can’t imagine anyone in the world I would rather see swoop in and save the day than Ben.
Garner and Affleck’s journey, beginning amidst the explosive backdrop of Pearl Harbor, blossomed into a bond that superhero dreams are made of. It was on the gritty streets of Daredevil that their stars aligned, with Affleck’s portrayal of the blind superhero capturing not just our imagination but Garner’s heart as well.
After Daredevil was released in 2003, they came clean about their relationship in 2004. Garner also encouraged Affleck to be cast in Elektra, as we learned from Screen Rant. Sources claim that the studio opted to remove Affleck from the movie entirely because they were worried about the potential negative impact of their relationship.
This has happened before; a few years ago, Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starred in Gigli and Jersey Girl, which was thought to have suffered from their public relationship. Both films were released during their highly public courtship and split, which attracted a lot of negative media attention. Elektra’s cameo was therefore influenced by the choice to forgo a potential repetition of this, even though it did not stop the film from failing at the box office (see Box Office Mojo).
Nonetheless, in June 2015, Affleck and Garner first announced their split, and almost two years later, they filed for divorce. TMZ was the first to report on the divorce filing. An insider told PEOPLE that the filing was “super amicable.”
So while fans may argue over who the best Batman is, for Jennifer Garner, there is no question: Ben Affleck will always be her superhero. Isn’t it fascinating how sometimes life can imitate art, with Garner watching Affleck, the “tall, dark and handsome” hero she admired, become not just Daredevil but also the hero of their own once romantic tale?
Daredevil is streaming on Disney+, while Elektra is available on Max.
