The internet has been abuzz with negative reactions and a petition of removal after the announcement was made that Ben Affleck has been selected to play Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, but can he actually be dropped from the role with enough pressure from fans?
EOnline reports that the pressure from fanboys and fangirls online to replace Ben Affleck as Batman will not cause the actor to be dropped. Matthew Belloni, executive editor at The Hollywood Reporter, declared, "This is happening. He's signed on, they put out a press release, he's in this movie."
The only alteration the studio may make after so much early backlash is a new publicity and marketing plan to present Affleck "in the best way possible."
TheCelebrityCafe.com reported that after it was made known Affleck would play the Dark Knight, social media was dominated by negative reactions to the announcement. Various petitions were started urging Warner Bros. Studio to drop the Argo director and star. The most popular petition posted on Change.org has already reached over 66,000 signatures.
According MSN, director Zack Snyder has assured, "He (Affleck) 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 (Batman's alter-ego)."
Affleck has yet to respond to fans' reactions.
Photo Courtesy of NBCUniversal