Opinionated comic book writer, Grant Morrison, who recently capped an eight-year run penning the adventures of Batman, was asked his thoughts on the biggest casting firestorm in years, Ben Affleck taking on the role of the Dark Knight in the ‘Man of Steel’ sequel.  The writer remained cautiously optimistic, stating:

“I’ll have to see him do it. He was in ‘Daredevil’ as well and that is kind of like Batman. If you just colour in the mask black you’ll get an idea of what he’s going to look like. It depends on his performance at the end of the day – no one believed in Michael Keaton. So, yeah, let’s see what he’s got. He’s a good actor.”

So his opinion falls in line with most of the “positive” reactions that Affleck has gotten on social media within the last several hours.  Most are furious to amused, while many are unsure.  I have yet to see anyone that is jumping for joy (besides Kevin Smith) over the news, but if you are, feel free to correct me.

Morrison, if you recall, was let down by ‘Man of Steel’, stating, “I don’t need to see that as someone who knows all I know about Superman. For me, it was a bit ‘seen it before,’ no matter how they tried to make it a little bit different.”  He also lamented “Killing is illegal and immoral. Why would we want our superheroes to do that?… What is this weird bloodlust in watching our superheroes kill the villains?”

Regarding the end of the Nolan version of the Dark Knight and this new spin, he responded:

“I really enjoyed the Nolan films, especially the second one, which is a great movie. It’s up there with the best films. It’s a great trilogy but I’m happy to see them doing a new take on it because it shows the willingness to embrace the multi-faceted nature of Batman. It’s just like every few years there’s a new Doctor Who. Now there’s a new Batman – and here’s this guy’s gadgets, here’s his Batmobile and his own customized toys.”

Morrison has had a long run writing for DC Comics, scripting its biggest names, the Justice League, Superman and Batman and is working on a new Wonder Woman graphic novel, then a project called “Multiversity” before exiting the world of mainstream super hero comics for the foreseeable future.

Are you, like Morrison, waiting to see how Affleck does?  Or have you already made up your mind?  Comment below!