Ben Affleck holds an unusual distinction in Hollywood– He’s played three different comic book super heroes. Most famously, he starred as ‘Daredevil’ in the disappointing 2003 adaptation of the blind Marvel martial arts expert, but of course he is now Batman in the unspooling DC Universe, kicking off next year in ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’. And don’t forget, he also played Superman– or at least George Reeves, the actor who played the Man of Steel in the classic 50s show ‘The Adventures of Superman’ and Affleck did appear onscreen in the famous red and blue tights.
Somehow his hunky BFF Matt Damon has never taken a turn playing a legit comic character, although his Jason Bourne could almost be considered a plainclothes super hero. Damon is currently promoting his surefire hit ‘The Martian’ and next summer sees a return to the Bourne role, but if he had the chance would he play an established comic star?
“For us it was always ‘Daredevil’, That’s the comic we read when we were kids” the Boston native said, referring to himself and Affleck who grew up together.
In fact, it seems Damon was also offered the role in the box office dud but passed, whereas Affleck took the bait.
“But when that one came along I chickened out, because I couldn’t tell. I hadn’t seen the director (Mark Steven Johnson’s) work and I didn’t know. So I just said, ‘No.’ Ben was like, ‘I gotta do it.'”
After it was done, however Damon doesn’t “think Ben was ultimately very proud of it.” Though the movie underperformed, Affleck did meet his future wife and mother of his children Jennifer Garner while making it. Garner notoriously starred in the even worse spinoff film ‘Elektra’ but soon after left acting to focus on their family. (Unfortunately, Affleck and Garner have recently split.)
Though it seems like a betrayal of sorts, Damon admitted under the right circumstances, he would indeed snatch away Affleck’s horned cowl.
“If Chris Nolan came up to me and said, ‘I want to do Daredevil,’ I would be in.”
Affleck shouldn’t be too concerned, though since he is not only starring as Batman but is due to co-write and direct the next solo Bat-venture. And the odds of a new live action ‘Daredevil’ is nil, since the character is now starring in a hit Netflix series with Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and his gritty alter ego.
But if you want to see Damon in high-flying super adventure, there are always the Bourne movies, to which the actor is returning after an underwhelming replacement by another comic book star Jeremy Renner, a.k.a. ‘The Avengers” Hawkeye.
Would you like to see Damon in a real super hero role? Would ‘Daredevil’ be a good fit or would he work better as someone else? Comment below!
Source: Cinema Blend