Why Ben Affleck as Batman Isn't the Worst Thing Ever

Well, that escalated quickly, didn’t it?

Mere moments after Variety reported that Ben Affleck would be donning the cape and cowl for an as-yet-unnamed 2015 Superman/Batman team-up flick, the Internet was awash in hateful comments as discontented DC fanatics mashed their keyboards and pounded their smart phones in outrage. From lambasting Warner Bros. for their apparently poor grasp of the filmmaking business to snarky Gigli and Daredevil remarks, geeks were quick to criticize the casting choice. Why not spend the dough to lure Christian Bale back to the character or, better yet, choose a less established actor to move this franchise toward Warner Bros.’ inevitable Justice League film? Such questions plagued innumerable comic book fans as they tossed and turned in their beds whiile visions of Armageddon danced in their heads.

This isn’t the first time DC fans have wildly criticized a casting decision at this scale. Hell, about a decade before Heath Ledger proved the haters wrong with an Academy Award-winning turn as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, a pre-Internet fanbase cried foul when Warner Bros. cast Michael Keaton as Batman in Tim Burton’s groundbreaking 1989 film. Both times, those critics were proven wrong. Although it’s clearly too early to say whether or not Affleck is the right choice to play Bruce Wayne in the Man of Steel sequel, it also might be too early for us to get bent out of shape about it. Relax, guys. Affleck can be an incredibly talented performer under the right conditions (see Argo, The Town, Hollywoodland or even Chasing Amy for examples).

And to those still asking why Bale isn’t back in the suit, consider that Nolan’s trilogy is a closed story, and that bringing his version of Batman into a world of aliens and red capes doesn’t  make all that much sense. This is a new universe with a new story and, yes, a new Batman.

For the full story from Variety, click here. And to check out my thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, read the review.

Getting Punchy (with Mike Tyson)

Since I’ve been living in a bubble for the past two weeks with a couple of big work-related projects, I’ve pretty much fallen behind when it comes to nerdy stuff on the Internet. Hopefully, circumstances will allow me ample time to obsess about movies and comic books in the very near future, but until then, enjoy this Fox Sports video of Mike Tyson playing Punch-Out!! for the very first time. Spoiler alert: He has some difficulty with Glass Joe.

Dark Horse Unearths Classic Origins with ‘The Star Wars’ Miniseries

Let’s face it: The Star Wars Expanded Universe is kind of a mess. From clones to contrivances to storylines that only resemble coherence if you squint just right, there’s little actual Star Wars magic to be found in the countless books and comics spawned from George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away.

However, this fall, Dark Hose Comics hopes to change all that by bringing us a fresh new take on the franchise with The Star Wars, an eight-issue series adapted from Lucas’ 1974 rough-draft screenplay. The first issue hits on Sept. 4, 2013, and judging by the teaser available on EW.com, the concept has a lot of promise as an alternate reality to the space opera we know and love (or revile ... you know who you are).

If you thought it was impossible for such an oft-trodden mythology to surprise us after all these years, check out the trailer for The Star Wars by clicking here.

'Dark World' Trailer a Sight for 'Thor' Eyes

It might not necessarily get the pre-release attentionthis summer’s Iron Man 3 received, but Thor: The Dark World is already shaping up to be the superior Marvel Studios offering in 2013. Check out the new trailer below, which reaffirms my appreciation for the first film as well as my longstanding crush on Natalie Portman.

The Buy Pile for Aug. 7, 2013

Happy Wednesday, Wortmaniacs! How’s your week going?

Oh, wow. That bad, huh? Well, if it makes you feel any better, there’s a slew of new comics that just hit the racks, so that should help you get through the next couple of days … unless you’re not into comics at all, in which case you’re probably here by accident and stopped reading at “Wortmaniacs.” So why am I still talking to you? This is awkward.

Anyhow, below is a list of what I’ll be reading tonight whenever I’m not completely distracted by Shark Week on Discovery. I really like the bitey parts.

• Iron Man #14
• All-New X-Men #5
• Deadpool Kills Deadpool #2
• Detective Comics #23
• Green Lantern #23

Are ‘Star Wars’ TV Shows Headed to ABC?

It was a long, long time ago that rumors began circulating about a Star Wars TV series, but the televised adventures in George Lucas’ galaxy are finally beginning to materialize, according to an ABC exec who has been working closely with The House of Mouse’s most talked-about acquisition, Lucasfilm Ltd.

“We’ve started conversations with [Lucasfilm]," said Paul Lee, president of the Disney-owned ABC Entertainment Group. “I have an inkling in my mind, but they have a lot on their plate.”

I suspect that the fate of Star Wars on TV will hinge on the success of this fall’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., an ABC series born out of Disney’s ownership of Marvel. If that show is a hit with general audiences as well as the vocal legions of Marvel geeks — many of whom are also Star Wars fanatics — then we might see a Star Wars TV show (or multiple shows) go into production long before Disney’s Episode VII hits theaters in 2015.

For Reuters’ full story, click here.

'Pacific Rim' Gets the Toho Treatment

Despite reports that Pacific Rim is cleaning up at the international box office, Guillermo’s quirky and ambitious movie about giant robots battling equally giant monsters didn’t exactly catch on domestically. Why? I wish I knew.

Whether or not Pacific Rim ultimately spawns a franchise, it has no doubt reignited interest in old-school Kaiju films, which is a good sign for Warner Bros. forthcoming Godzilla reboot stomping into theaters next summer. While we await city-stomping goodness, check out this fan-made trailer reimagining Pacific Rim as a Godzilla-esque Toho flick, complete with Japanese dubbing and some familiar music.