Ben Affleck Says His Batman Is ‘F---ed Up'

After yesterday’s three new Batman vs. Superman images from the pages of Empire magazine, today we have even more from the upcoming superhero film. From that same magazine article, we have both Ben Affleck and director Zack Snyder talking about this film’s version of Batman (which Affleck describes as a “f---ed up Batman”), plus a bunch of new photos from the film.

Affleck spoke about why decided to star in Batman vs. Superman after originally turning the part down. Some of this he has mentioned before (he said some variation of this at the Comic-Con panel), but much of it is new, specifically the part about how messed up Batman seems to be at this point in his career, and what facing off with Superman will do to him on a mental level:

Initially I thought, ‘I'm older, it doesn't seem like the right sort of fit for me.’ Then Zack pitched me his concept for this older, more broken, kind of f---ed up Batman. It was something we haven't seen. We have seen that Batman is willing to cross the line to protect people. That vigilantism has been a part of his character all along, and we are tapping into that mentality when faced by something as potentially as deadly a Superman. We want to assume that Batman has reached this point in his life and career as a superhero, and Superman represents a sort of philosophical change. He is a paradigm shift for Batman: ‘I've been fighting criminals all my life, trying to find justice, and now I am confronted with a concept that is transcendent to me.’ In the face of Superman, a man robbing a bank doesn't matter.

Snyder says that Batman is seen as sort of a villain in this movie, but adds that who fans choose to root for will be up to them. “It's a point of view thing. That is why Dawn of Justice is the full title. What it does is allow us to start this conversation.” (Spoiler alert: Everyone is going to be rooting for Batman.)

There was no specific confirmation that Affleck would be showing up in Suicide Squad (though we have seen Batman on the film’s Toronto set), but the article does confirm that it was Batman who put The Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and the rest of the Squad lineup in prison.

Below are some new photos from the movie, including another shot of Gal Gadot as Diana/Wonder Woman and Superman looks super pissed.

Batman vs. Superman opens in theaters on March 25, 2016.