For all its mishaps, one thing the now-defunct DCEU got right, at least for the most part, was the suits. From Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel suit to Wonder Woman, the DCEU didn’t struggle with getting the outfits of its heroes right, and Ben Affleck’s Batman vs Superman suit was arguably its best example. Even though the character itself wasn’t exactly true to its comic roots, the BVS suit for the caped crusader was largely faithful to the source material.
But things went downhill since and fans are still unhappy with Affleck’s outfit in The Flash, which was his last dance in the realm of DCEU.
Fans Still Can’t Get Over Ben Affleck’s Suit From The Flash
2023 wasn’t a smooth year for superhero flicks, and The Flash was the worst performer of them all, which reportedly lost WB almost $200M. Although the controversy surrounding its lead Ezra Miller did add to its poor box-office reception, the movie had its fair share of issues, with the biggest one being its lackluster CGI.
Compared to previous DCEU entries, the suits were a noticeable downgrade, especially in Batman’s case, whose suit’s middle portion seemed to be a confusing amalgamation of plastic padding and mesh. It doesn’t help that this was the farewell for Ben Affleck‘s caped crusader, who was the only member of the original to receive a proper goodbye.
In hindsight, The Flash seems like the perfect summation of the struggling DCEU, as despite showcasing promise, it failed to live up to its true potential.
Zack Snyder Detailed His Reasoning for Casting Ben Affleck
While the casting of Affleck as Batman was not received well among fans initially, which seems to be always the case with Batman actors, the actor proved them wrong. Even though his Batman was a departure from its comic counterpart, it has more to do with the writing than the Air star, who delivered an impeccable performance despite the script’s shortcomings.
Reflecting on casting a then 43-year-old Affleck, Zack Snyder recalled that the actor’s huge physical stature played a big role, stressing Affleck looked legitimately scary in the suit.
He said (via The Joe Rogan Experience):
Affleck’s 6’4″, you know? He’s a legit big dude. And the shoes, the boots are like two inches, so he’s literally almost 6’6″ in the costume. When he comes out in the costume — I mean, we put some muscle on him, and there’s a muscle suit under the suit, and he’s, legitimately, a scary-looking thing. You know, he’s just standing there, and you’re like, ‘Holy sh*t.’ Like, dude… the chin is so insane, in that cowl. I mean, look at him… he’s legitimately… that’s Batman to me.
On the flip side, despite dropping the ball with the suit, The Flash did succeed in giving Affleck a beautiful send-off in his last scene, which can’t be said for the other JL members.
The Flash is available to stream on Max.
