8 Ways That Ben Affleck’s Batman Is Different Than Christian Bale’s

There are, perhaps inevitably, a great many similarities between Christian Bale's Batman and the latest version of the character as played by Ben Affleck. After all, the character is too iconic for filmmakers to deviate too far from interpretation to interpretation. In Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Affleck's Bruce Wayne like Bale's in the Dark Knight trilogy is by day a famous tycoon and multi-billionaire heir, and by night a rogue crimefighter dressed all in black. He's smart, tough, well-versed in the art of beating people up, and has high-tech gadgets in place of real superpowers. He also has a loyal butler named Alfred doing much of the work behind the scenes. That isn't to say there aren't great differences between the two versions. Many of the fundamentals remain the same, but Batman V Superman still presents a very different take on the Caped Crusader. It appears the 'Batfleck' is not a continuation of Christian Bale's Dark Knight some years down the line as may have been expected; rather, it would seem they occupy entirely different universes. So, on that note, join us as we examine eight ways in which Ben Affleck's Batman is completely different to Bale's version. 8) He's A Killer He saw his parents killed as a child and was raised a lonely orphan, while at the beginning of Dawn of Justice we also find that he was witness to Man of Steel's destructive Supes/Zod fight at ground level, meaning he saw the merciless near-annihilation of a city and its people up close. To summarize, Bruce Wayne has been through a lot by the time we meet him in Zack Snyder's film, which goes part of the way to explaining why he's a killer now. That's right: in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Caped Crusader has become a straight-up murderer. Where in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy Bats' one rule was to never kill anyone, in BvS he shoots, stabs and explodes his enemies without a second thought. There are no obvious feelings of guilt or remorse; to him, murder has simply become a part of his process. All the previous criticisms of Batman as a fascist in a cape apply doubly here. 7) He's A Sadist Bruce isn't just a killer in BvS. Where Christian Bale's Wayne let the justice he delivered by night weigh heavily upon him in his down time, the Batfleck is unmoved by the harm he causes. In fact, he actually appears to take pleasure in dishing out pain. Call it a psychological side-effect of years of numbing physical combat, or his way of retaliating after the world has so often wronged him. Either way, this Batman brands people he doesn't like. A searing hot Bat-brand is how he leaves his mark on the criminals he despises. Affleck's Batman also taunts his opponents ("Do you bleed? You will"), plays on the fears of people just because (scaring a cop by hanging in the shadows of a crime scene like some monstrous gargoyle) and, at one point, even drags a car of bad guys behind him in order to maximize the damage. Violence isn't just functional to Affleck's Bruce Wayne - the guy actually seems to enjoy it. 6) He Doesn't Work With The Law The Bale Batman had Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent, and up until he took the rap for Dent's murder, Bats had a relatively healthy yet unspoken working relationship with Gotham PD. Affleck's Batman in Batman V Superman, however, appears to have a generally more uneasy and antagonistic relationship with the law. It all comes down to one telling scene, in which Batman waits at the aforementioned crime scene to frighten a rookie cop out of his wits. That the cop's fearful for his life upon entering the scene and that he shoots at Bruce when he reveals himself as the Bat speaks volumes. The implication isn't just that Gotham police are no longer in league with Batman, it's that they're positively terrified of him. He seems almost like some mythic, demonic figure, as much a boogeyman to law enforcement as he is to criminals. 5) He's Prideful And Self-Involved As much as Bale's Batman was prone to moments of self-absorption, he was overall a relatively selfless hero, even ultimately offering himself up as a sacrifice at the close of The Dark Knight Rises. Affleck's Batman, however, is arguably out mainly for himself and his ego. Wayne takes on Superman largely because of how Metropolis' hero makes him feel - small, threatened, a man in thrall to a god - and ignores in the process any of the good the Man of Steel does. Bruce fails to even recognize the hypocrisy of his quest: he's a vigilante that answers to no one, too blinded by his own self-involvement to see his latest enemy is basically the same. At the end of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Bruce does come round to the idea of working alongside Superman, but only because he in a moment of vulnerability reminds Bruce of himself. When Bruce discovers his and Clark Kent's mothers share a first name, he finds himself empathizing. Bruce then spares Superman, but it takes him seeing himself in Clark Kent for him to feel anything for his extraterrestrial foe at all. It's almost sociopathic how little the Batfleck can relate to people. 4) He's Too Old for This Shit Bruce Wayne is old in Batman V Superman. How do we know this? The grey streaks in his hair; the grown-up silk suits; the vintage car that screams middle-age; the fact that he doesn't even see the point in shaving off the stubble anymore (who even cares? It'll only grow back). Just from the surface aspects, you can tell that Snyder has really tried to push this idea that Ben Affleck's Batman is over-the-hill, or near-enough anyways. It's the vibe that Affleck brings to his Bruce Wayne, however, that really sells the idea that he's too old for this shit. Affleck's Wayne is tired, downbeat and surly. He apparently reserves his get-up-and-go solely for when he's out on the streets, mauling his opponents. By The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale's Batman was no longer the youthful playboy of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but he was still in possession of the drive and energy of a young man. Affleck's Batman is instead resigned to being old and detached. 3) He's Haunted By Ultra-Vivid Nightmares In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne occasionally found himself shocked awake from dreams revolving around his greatest fear: bats. By the end of the Dark Knight trilogy, these visions had left Bruce for good, but in Batman V Superman, they're back. And they're more vivid, and much trippier, than ever. For Affleck's Dark Knight, it's not just remembering traumatic scenes from his past. This Bruce Wayne also has apocalyptic visions of tomorrow, populated by winged robo-aliens and Kal-El-idolizing stormtroopers. One of Batman V Superman's most stunning sequences finds Bruce in some near-future desert world, facing down - and eventually being defeated by - what appears to be Superman's army. It's revealed Bruce is watching the future scene on some computer monitor/scrying mirror in the comfort of his home. Then Bruce wakes up, so terrified by his nightmare vision that it further fuels his desire to take down Superman. 2) He's A Borderline Alcoholic The only time Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne ever appeared 'drunk,' he was merely pretending to be in order to clear his house of guests (so he could later have a fight with the League of Shadows, natch). In fairness to Affleck's Bruce, he also tries the old 'faking drunkenness as a ruse to carry out a secret task' in Batman V Superman. There is, however, also a very strong suggestion that Affleck's Wayne is a heavy drinker for real. In one telling scene, Affleck awakes groggy in his swanky bachelor pad, presumably with a nagging hangover. Alfred picks up an empty bottle of wine, and asks whether Bruce will leave behind any of what's left in the Wayne family wine cellar. The implication is that Bruce begins a lot of his mornings like this, sore-headed after another night spent drowning his sorrows and dulling the nightmares. The bottom line is he's a borderline alcoholic. 1) He's A Sexless Loner In the Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice scene where we find Bruce hungover, Alfred alludes to his suspicion that there won't be any future generations of Wayne to carry on the family name. It's not just a throwaway line: Alfred hints a couple of times that our new Bruce Wayne is not a bachelor, but more likely some sexless loner. Alfred mutters to himself that it'll "be the day" when Bruce finds a partner, indicating that Bruce has been out of the dating game for some time. Of course, Christian Bale's Bruce was at heart another loner, but he undeniably enjoyed the company of women. There were supermodels, there was Rachel Dawes in both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and there was Selina Kyle and 'Miranda Tate' in The Dark Knight Rises. Affleck's Bruce, meanwhile, shows no interest in the opposite sex. There's not even a mention of his playboy days, while the only time there's a hint of sexual tension comes when he confronts Wonder Woman. Even then, it turns out he's only talking to her in order to reclaim a piece of his equipment she stole.

8 Ways That Ben Affleck’s Batman Is Different Than Christian Bale’s

8) He’s A Killer