Man Of Steel 2 : le casting complet !

L'information a de quoi surprendre et pourtant elle est on ne peut plus officielle puisque venant d'un communiqué de presse de la Warner (disponible en bas de page) : Ben Affleck incarnera Batman dans la suite de Man of Steel, intitulée temporairement Batman Vs Superman.

Voici ce que dit le communiqué : « Nous savions que nous avions besoin d’un acteur extraordinaire pour être le héros DC le plus endurant et populaire, et Ben Affleck se révélait parfait. Sa formidable carrière est une preuve de son talent et nous savons que Zack et lui vont apporter une nouvelle dimension à la dualité de ce personnage. » Pour Zack Snyder, toujours à la réalisation de cette suite, il est évident que « Ben va être un contre-poids intéressant à Henry (Cavill). Il a le talent nécessaire pour créer un personnage à multiples facettes, plus âgé et plus sage que Clark Kent et qui porte les cicatrices du combattant du crime, tout en ayant le charme du milliardaire Bruce Wayne. » A noter que Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne et Diane Lane reprendront leurs rôles respectifs de Loïs Lane, Perry White et Martha Kent dans cette sequelle.



Cette annonce est néanmoins étonnante à plus d'un titre car même si le nom d'Affleck circulait en interne, d'autres comme Josh Brolin, Max Martini ou Jude Law semblaient plus proches d'emporter autant les suffrages du public que de la production. Rappelons que Ben Affleck a déjà joué un super-héros (de l'écurie Marvel) : Daredevil en 2003 et le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est que le résultat n'avait pas été convaincant. Cela dit, tout le monde a droit à une seconde chance... Reste à évoquer tous les projets d'Affleck réalisateur (c'est comme ça qu'on l'aime...) qui risquent de tomber à l'eau faute de temps. En vrac, l'adaptation du roman de Stephen King, Le Fléau, Live By Night, autre adaptation, cette fois du livre de Dennis Lehane ou encore White Bulger avec son vieux pote Matt Damon... 

Pour découvrir si ce choix aura finalement été pertinent, il faudra patienter jusqu'au 17 juillet 2015, date fixée pour la sortie mondiale de Man of Steel 2.

Ending weeks of speculation, Ben Affleck has been set to star as Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne.  Affleck and filmmaker Zack Snyder will create an entirely new incarnation of the character in Snyder’s as-yet-untitled project—bringing Batman and Superman together for the first time on the big screen and continuing the director’s vision of their universe, which he established in “Man of Steel.”  The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
The studio has slated the film to open worldwide on July 17, 2015.
Last month’s surprise announcement of the new movie featuring both Superman and Batman created a wave of excitement and immediately fueled discussion and debate—among fans as well as in the media—about who would put on the cape and cowl of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego.
Snyder successfully re-imagined the origin of Clark Kent/Superman in the worldwide blockbuster “Man of Steel,” which has earned more than $650 million worldwide to date, and climbing.  The director will now create an original vision of Batman and his world for the film that brings the two DC Comics icons together.
Affleck will star opposite Henry Cavill, who will reprise the role of Superman/Clark Kent.  The film will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.
In the announcement, Silverman stated, “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.  His outstanding career is a testament to his talent and we know he and Zack will bring new dimension to the duality of this character.”
Snyder also expressed his excitement about the casting of Affleck, noting, “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman.  He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne.  I can’t wait to work with him.”
Kroll added, “We are so thrilled that Ben is continuing Warner Bros.’ remarkable legacy with the character of Batman.  He is a tremendously gifted actor who will make this role his own in this already much-anticipated pairing of these two beloved heroes.”
Affleck recently starred in the Academy Award®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which he also directed and produced, earning acclaim and a BAFTA Award nomination for his performance in the film, as well as a number of directing honors.  In 2010, he starred in and directed the hit crime thriller “The Town.”  His recent acting work also includes “The Company Men,” “State of Play,” and “Hollywoodland,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.  Earlier in his career, Affleck starred in and co-wrote (with Matt Damon) “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won an Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay.
The new Super Hero film is being scripted by David S. Goyer from a story he co-created with Zack Snyder.  Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as executive producers.
Production is expected to begin in 2014.
The film is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, and Batman characters created by Bob Kane, published by DC Entertainment.