Affleck . . . as Batman? News explodes Internet

NEW YORK

- Ben Affleck will be the next Batman: How 'bout them apples?

Well, the Internet, which erupted Thursday night after Warner Bros. announced that Affleck will play the Caped Crusader for its Superman and Batman team-up movie, does not like them apples one bit. Jokes (many of them imagining a Batman from South Boston) flew on Twitter. Petitions with thousands of signatures were launched to urge Warner Bros. to rethink their decision.

Affleck, just months ago the toast of Hollywood for his best picture-winning "Argo," hasn't had so much scorn heaped on him since "Gigli."

The response, roughly equivalent to news of the apocalypse, was undoubtedly out of proportion. After the leaden, joyless "Man of Steel," adding Affleck - an actor of light, easy charisma and an increasingly capable filmmaker - can only improve a franchise currently in the hands of "Sucker Punch" director Zach Snyder and the beefy but unremarkable Superman actor Henry Cavill.

Affleck is likely to be far from the biggest issue for the film, which is scheduled to begin shooting next year and be released in summer 2015. He has already proven to be a more interesting Superman, too, by playing a bitter George Reeves in the atmospheric 2006 docudrama "Hollywoodland."

There's a long history of casting overreaction that's later turned out laughable. There were plenty of critics when Daniel Craig, who had the audaciousness of being blond, inherited James Bond. Some, too, questioned Jennifer Lawrence's suitability for Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games."

And who would have guessed that Michael Keaton would make arguably the best of all the Batmen?