Ben Affleck's Performances as Batman, Ranked (2024)

There have been many different actors to dawn the cowl of Batman over the years. One of the most fervent debates comic book movie fans have on the internet is which Batman is best. While some maintain that the classic performances by Adam West and Michael Keaton were the definitive takes on the character, others prefer the more recent versions played by Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson. However, the one Batman that undoubtedly has the most vocal fanbase of them all is the version of the character played by Ben Affleck.

Affleck was initially cast as the Caped Crusader in 2013. Yes, it has been more than a decade since fans found out that Ben Affleck would be playing Batman, and while the initial reaction from fans was negative, Affleck quickly won them over. He stepped into the role as Warner Bros. began developing its own interconnected universe of DC superhero films, which was largely spearheaded by Zack Snyder at the time. Although this universe — either the DCEU or the Snyderverse, depending on who you ask — failed to replicate the same financial success as Marvel’s Cinematic Unverse, Affleck has still appeared as Batman in more films than any other actor that has worn the mask.

With his cameo in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cut from the final film, it seems that Affleck's time as the Caped Crusader has come to an end. The DCU has since entered the process of rebooting itself and moving on from the Snyderverse vision that once was, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being the final installment of the pre-James Gunn universe. With it, Affleck has donned the cowl for the last time in The Flash in 2023.

Updated Jan. 11, 2024: This article has been updated with additional content and features.

As audiences say goodbye to Batfleck, now is a good time to look back on the decade the actor has spent in the role. Here is a ranked list of Ben Affleck’s appearances as Batman, from cameos to main cast performances.

Ben Affleck's Performances as Batman in Chronological Order

5 Suicide Squad (2016)

Suicide Squad

PG-13

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Crime

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Release Date

August 3, 2016

Director

David Ayer

Cast

Will Smith , Jaime Fitzsimons , Ike Barinholtz , Margot Robbie , Christopher Dyson , Bambadjan Bamba

2016’s Suicide Squad was a bitter disappointment for Warner Bros., as many audiences and critics found the film to be a colorful but disorienting mess of a movie. The film does have some excellent sequences that have earned it a bit of a following over the years, but there’s a reason that the movie was largely ignored by the time James Gunn’s quasi-sequel The Suicide Squad was released in 2021.

The 2016 film marked the second occasion that fans saw Affleck’s Batman on the big screen after he debuted in Batman v Superman earlier that year. The film primarily focused on various villains from Batman and the DC universe’s rogues' gallery, but the Caped Crusader does appear briefly in the film on a number of occasions.

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Affleck's Batman Can't Save Suicide Squad

Affleck appears in costume as Batman through various flashbacks that establish the characters of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and The Joker (Jared Leto). With Deadshot, Affleck appears in a short scene that sees him apprehending Deadshot while the sharpshooter was out shopping with his daughter. As for Harley Quinn and The Joker, there's an extended sequence of Batman chasing the two of them in the Batmobile before Joker escapes, leaving Batman to save Harley from drowning. His final appearance in the film comes in a post-credit scene that sees Bruce Wayne meeting Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), as he's gathering information on the group of meta-humans that he will bring together to form the Justice League.

Overall, while it was a nice bit of interconnectivity to have Batman in 2016’s Suicide Squad, his appearances in the film are fairly forgettable. They don’t really add much to the film, nor do they develop Batman beyond what audiences already knew of him from Batman v Superman. It also makes him seem weirdly complicit with a person as morally corrupt as Amanda Waller. We have to give props to Warner Bros. and David Ayer for somehow working the character into the movie, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t leave much of an impression.

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4 Justice League (2017)

Justice League

PG-13

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

Release Date

November 17, 2017

Director

Zack Snyder

Cast

Jeremy Irons , Gal Gadot , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Ciarán Hinds , Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Ezra Miller , J. K. Simmons , Jason Momoa , Ray Fisher

Although the 2017 version of Justice League bears director Zack Snyder’s name, in reality, the film was mostly directed and molded by Joss Whedon, which has resulted in many nicknaming the film “Josstice League.” Well, the “Josstice League” is a real mixed bag when it comes to Affleck’s Batman.

While his version of the character is arguably the lead in the movie, with the entire plot centering around him bringing the team together to fight Steppenwolf and revive Superman, the characterization of Batman in the film is incredibly bland. While watching it, it’s apparent that Affleck had mentally checked out of the role during the extensive reshoots, and who can blame him? All indications show that the production of the film turned into a nightmare after Snyder left and Whedon came on board.

Justice League's Batman Isn't Very Interesting

The way that Batman is portrayed in the 2017 Justice League is just not that interesting. He’s turned into a generic “cool guy” who is just spewing half-baked dialogue and cheesy jokes the whole time. Some of these lines work in the context of Bruce Wayne having learned to "lighten up" following the events of Batman v Superman, and Affleck is naturally charming, so he can sell the lines. But it just doesn't work.

The only reason this outing is ranked above Suicide Squad is that it featured some pretty decent action sequences, along with bringing back the classic Batman theme from Tim Burton’s films. We also have to give special mention to a certain scene involving Affleck and Ezra Miller's Barry Allen. The scene in question comes when Barry Allen is doubting his ability to be a hero. Batman encourages him by affirming that, as long as he can “save one person,” then the rest will come. As bad as the movie may be, that was a great scene, and it fits the character of Batman.

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3 The Flash (2023)

The Flash

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Release Date

June 16, 2023

Director

Andres Muschietti

Cast

Ezra Miller , Michael Keaton , Sasha Calle

While DC's long awaited movie, The Flash, may not have lived up to their expectations at the box office, Ben Affleck's appearance as the Caped Crusader is a bright spot in the film. Other films on this list may have Affleck in more of a prominent role, but his final outing is the one that most embodies the comic book nature of Batman. His version of Batman is one that's been operating for over 20 years, and we only got a look at the tail end of his career, seeing him go from someone who lost their way to finding hope again at the end of Zack Snyder's Justice League. In The Flash, it's the first time we get to see him as a fully realized version of the character.

Not only is Batfleck finally donning the classic blue and gray costume from the comics, but he's moving and fighting like his comic counterpart would too. From dropping into the battle with the Flying Fox, to zipping around on the Batcycle, to gliding around with a grappling hook, he's finally moving as he should. More gadgets than ever are being utilized, and it feels like the height of the character's combat on-screen. Affleck finally got a chance to play a fully-realized Batman here, but it's not without its faults to justify this place on the list.

Affleck's Batman Was a Glorified Cameo

His screen time in the film is, understandably, very short. Affleck only appears in two sequences in the movie after his post-credit scene was cut from the film. In the time he is there, his character doesn't get much to do or go through any arc. He serves more as a cameo and gives the character one final sendoff before James Gunn's reboot wipes the slate clean.

We do get to see the growth he's gone through in a conversation with Barry, showing that he's worked through the trauma of losing his parents. Bestowing wisdom on Barry to live his life, not his past, and to not let his tragedy define him, is a fantastic scene. It shows how far he's come since the days of Batman v Superman. Had we gotten this version of Batfleck for an entire film, it's possible it could have been the best version of the character.

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2 Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Now we’re at the point in the list that consists of genuinely great performances from Affleck in the role. At this point, everybody is well aware that the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League that was released on Max in 2021 is significantly better than the 2017 version. Affleck’s Batman is one of the main reasons for that. There’s so much more of an edge to the character in this film, and it’s much more in line tonally with how the character was established in Batman v Superman.

Much of this version of the movie was filmed at a point in which Affleck was still all-in on the character, and that really shows on-screen. Whereas in the 2017 version, it felt like it was Affleck dressed up as Batman, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the actor really disappears into the role and embodies this version of Bruce Wayne. He's a character driven by guilt, grief, and desperation. He’s not forming the Justice League just for the fun of it; he’s doing it because he knows that he can’t stop Steppenwolf alone.

The Snydercut Improved Affleck's Batman Significantly

This version of Batman is so much more developed and well-realized than that of the 2017 film, and he is given much more meaningful material. Rather than being the main character by default, he’s thoroughly part of the ensemble while also being an active driver in the plot. Seeing this performance and iteration of Batman in Justice League all the years after the initial 2017 release really hammers home the lost potential of the Snyderverse and this particular take on the character.

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1 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Release Date

March 23, 2016

Director

Zack Snyder

Cast

Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne

This is where it all started. 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was where DC fans around the world were first introduced to Affleck’s Batman. It was simultaneously the first time the character had been on-screen since Bale’s take on the character.

What Affleck brought to Bruce Wayne/Batman in this movie was incredibly refreshing and exhilarating. It’s a very different take on Batman than what had been done previously in The Dark Knight trilogy and the various other Batman outings. Affleck’s Batman is much darker, more aggressive, and more damaged. Affleck really embraces the character in Batman v Superman, and the performance he delivers is arguably one of the best anyone has ever been given in the role.

Batman v Superman Was Affleck's Best Batman Performance

The film's numerous script issues aside, Affleck truly commits to the performance and shines in every scene. While the overall reception to Batman v Superman wasn’t super positive, which began the downward spiral that plagued the DCEU in the years following, none of that is the fault of Affleck’s performance. He came on board, committed to the character, and embodied this iteration of Batman better than anyone else could have. Despite some of the story and pacing issues, Affleck’s Batman really stands out as a massive bright spot in the film. Of the all-time great Batman performances, Affleck’s in Batman v Superman certainly deserves to be in the conversation for the top spot.

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Looking for a lighthearted take on the Caped Crusader? Though it may not feature Ben Affleck, our exclusive interview with Merry Little Batman director Mike Roth shines some light on what's to come for Batman's newest animated adventures.