Justice League is 'Lighter' Than Batman V Superman, Affleck Says

CBR

By Kevin Melrose

Published Jan 14, 2017

The actor also compares his Dark Knight with previous versions, saying the hero is older and wiser.

Although Ben Affleck would undoubtedly prefer to talk about "Live by Night" during his promotional push for his new crime drama, interviews almost invariably turn to "Justice League" and his announced Batman solo outing. That may be a little frustrating to the filmmaker and actor, who's by now aware virtually any utterance, but it provides fans and observers with glimpses into the future of the DC Extended Universe that are otherwise difficult to come by.

The latest example comes in an interview with Cineplex, in which Affleck acknowledges that "Justice League" will mark a change from Warner Bros.' "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad," which, while commercially successful, weren't the financial or critical hits the studio may have anticipated.

“'Justice League,' you probably saw the teaser that came out of Comic-Con; I thought it is nicely emblematic of the kind of minor tone shift and segue in storytelling,” he said, contrasting the ensemble film with "Batman v Superman." “It’s a little bit lighter, the characters are a little bit more comfortable in themselves, so they can express a wider array of emotions. And there are just more people in it, so it’s more fun. It’s all of these different characters bumping up against each other and the team dynamic offers a lot of dramatic possibility.”

That's an expansion on recent comments by the actor, who said there was "a whole feeling of kind of ‘rebirth’" on the set of "Justice League."

In the interview, Affleck also contrasted is Batman with previous big-screen depictions of he DC Comics vigilante.

“It’s different in terms of tone and, obviously, just a different actor,” he said. “I think the most profound difference is that I’m playing the part at an older age than those guys were when they played it, and it’s about a guy who’s had a long life of this experience, rather than someone who’s just setting out on the journey to become this guy. He’s older and wiser, I guess. And he was pretty pissed off in 'Batman v Superman,' but now it’s not about finding revenge in 'Justice League,' it’s about protecting the Earth. So the feel is different.”

Directed by Zack Snyder, “Justice League” stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Raymond Fisher, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen and J.K. Simmons. The film opens Nov. 17.