Bad news Batman fans, Ben Affleck is your new star

It could be argued that the most successful comic book movie reboot of all-time was Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series. With that trilogy wrapping up last year, it meant the last of Christian Bale’s uber-serious Batman was done for, and ever since, there has been a lot of speculation about who will be cast as the next Batman.

Following “The Avengers” model of superhero teaming up with superhero – two characters from the DC Comic world are getting together, and Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman to co-star with Henry Cavill’s Superman.

The news didn’t put a spring in KIRO Radio movie critic Tom Tangney’s step.

We know Cavill from this summer’s “Man of Steel,” – which Tom wasn’t particularly hot on, but what this announcement really proves is evidence of the rehabilitation of Affleck’s career.

Ten years ago Affleck’s acting career bottomed out. He made what many people consider to be the worst movie of all time, “Gigli.” He made more than one terrible blockbuster movie – “Pearl Harbor,” and “Armageddon” to start. And he also took a stab at the comic book movie genre with box office flop “Daredevil.”

But then Tom says he made a very smart move for his career: He decides to be a director. Affleck directed three well-received movies, the latest of which was “Argo,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Now, he’s the toast of Hollywood, as a director. Smartly, he keeps putting himself in these movies that he’s directing which means his acting career has gotten rejuvenated along with his directing career.

But Affleck is not directing Batman.

“He’s a great director,” says Tom. “But he’s not a very good actor. He’s too earnest and self-conscious. And he reminds me of A-Rod. A-Rod is so smooth you just don’t feel like he means it.”

According to Tom, he just doesn’t have the chops to be a great actor. “I’m a little concerned that this is not going to work.”