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Which was the worst character in B vs S?

  • Ben Affeck's Batman

    Votes: 351 59.9%
  • Henry Cavill's Superman

    Votes: 235 40.1%

  • Total voters
    586

cj_iwakura

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,195
Coral Springs, FL
giphy.gif


Imagine thinking that any part of THIS is a good performance...

Fully expect this to turn into a Cavill thirst thread, like every Cavill thread.

Like, just admit you want him to do you, and be done with it. He was not a good actor in this role.
I must be the only person on earth who that scene landed for. I really did feel his pain.
 

Vordan

Member
Aug 12, 2018
2,489
The actors weren't the problem, Snyder and Goyer/Terrio were the problem. Both were OOC but at least Affleck's Bruce got to express a wider range of emotion compared to Cavill's Superman who has two moods: Sullen and depressed. So I'll say Cavill's Superman was worse. Thank Christ Snyder is gone.
 

Htown

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,338
"No one stays good in this world."
- Superman

That's a Superman line. That is a thing they had Superman say.

Yeah, Batman kills a bunch of people, which is terrible, but I've never seen a simple character be so fundamentally misunderstood as Superman in the hands of Zack Snyder
 

modoversus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,684
México
Tough call. Both of them really hamstrung by things other than their acting ability.

Cavill is a charisma vacuum in these films and these films alone. His character isn't superman at all, and some of the scenes and dialogue feel designed to make him unrelatable. Although man of steel is the best film with either of them in. He comes across as cold and uncaring, and I kinda hate the suit too. Then there's that moustache CGI face nonsense.

Affleck gives a decent performance, but again we never really get to see him be Batman. He's murderous, and doesn't really feel like a meticulous detective, or like he's using fear to intimidate, outside of a few scenes. He's in the least well written and directed films, and he even visibly gains and loses weight between scenes as he oscillates between dour humourless overly serious batman and goofy cracking wise Tony Stark wannabe.

I really dislike both versions of these characters, but I blame Snyder and the producers more than the actors, they're both capable actors.

Might go for Cavill being the better of the two because at least the Man Of Steel trailers hint at a far better version of that character that could have been possible.

Do we get a thread on whether Lois Lane or Amanda Waller is worse in the DCEU next?

Edit: I don't even mind that both of them kill, but it never felt earned or justified. If you are going to make them cross that line, it should be set up to be a big deal beforehand.

100% this. Exactly how I see it.
 

DragonSJG

Banned
Mar 4, 2019
14,341
Batfleck was a good performance but killing was eh
Cavil's Superman is worse due to Snyder's misunderstanding of Superman and trying to deconstruct for his dark and edgy views. Which doesn't work for Superman
How did DC f*ck up their greatest heroes
 

Raguel

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,275
Both were great as their characters. It's Snyder and Terrio to blame for how awful these movies are. Fucking completely destroying the fundamentals of the characters.
 

Parch

Member
Nov 6, 2017
7,980
With Daredevil on the resume, Affleck should never have been given another superhero role.
 

Quiksaver

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,022
Every time there is a lack of respect for the source material for the benefit of a new "trendsetting" version by an edgier director it goes horribly bad

I just feel bad for these amazing actors that had their opportunities to portray legendary icons thrown in the fire to appease some random assortment of stale suits who thinks they know better than the audience who pays their salaries
 

PanzerKraken

Member
Nov 1, 2017
15,054
They were great for the roles, the movies and scripts just sucked balls. It blows that they ruined such potential
 

Proteus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,985
Toronto
"No one stays good in this world."
- Superman

That's a Superman line. That is a thing they had Superman say.

Yeah, Batman kills a bunch of people, which is terrible, but I've never seen a simple character be so fundamentally misunderstood as Superman in the hands of Zack Snyder
I liked the actors playing the roles but the story and script always felt like they were setting us up for a big twist and they would do the Justice Lords universe.

The above quote is a good example.
 

Tetra-Grammaton-Cleric

user requested ban
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
8,958
Neither, they were both excellent. The films they were in had issues (though I actually enjoy them regardless) but both were excellent in their roles.

I especially appreciate the physicality both actors brought to the characters.
 

Khanimus

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
40,341
Greater Vancouver
Superman, but I don't chalk that up to Cavill. I blame Snyder's awful vision of a Superman who believes in nothing.

The 5 minutes that Whedon's Superman gets to be himself (cg mustache aside), Cavill does a perfectly fine job.
 

Tuorom

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,958
Ehhh watching Cavill as Superman and Affleck as Batman are the only redeeming qualities of BvS.

I would say Batfleck is the better of the two because he is such a grim departure from regular Batman depictions and he has most of the good scenes ie. metropolis disaster, workout montage, warehouse fight. He really sticks out because of their direction of wanting a Batman who has past the tipping point, that has been consumed by pessimism.

I must be the only person on earth who that scene landed for. I really did feel his pain.
Nah it worked, MoS is a decent flick. People just have a hard on for hating him because iTs NoT mY sUpErMaN. Some people have no time for alternate takes.
 
Last edited:

Sixfortyfive

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
4,615
Atlanta
I reject the framing of this question. The actors aren't the problem.

Superman was done worse of the two, but like countless others have said, that's more on Snyder's head than anyone else. Even RedLetterMedia explicitly called out Snyder's objectivist worldview as a horrible fit for Superman.
 

Jeffolation

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,145
I dig both performances and straight up love MoS. Quite fond of BvS too, although I know why people have problems with it, I just dig it too much.
 

Garlador

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
14,131
What Superman MEANT to me growing up - truth, justice, and the American way - what he symbolized as the best in humanity, the altruism of courage, small-town humility, and selfless kindness... to be a hero not just through might but in actions, as simple as helping an elderly woman across the street or saving a kitten from a tree... to treat every day as an opportunity to make the world a better, happier place...

... The loss of that still hurts so much because, despite him being a comic book character, he was a role model for me as a child, and in this dark age we live in of paranoia, xenophobia, racism, bigotry, intolerance, and bitterness, we need a hero like Superman now more than ever before.
wCKdpqCV5ywTU5X0c4y0Jtr1A6ejotY9yMmp99OoWbw.jpg
 

Raptor

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
992
Superman was great on MoS he had his arc in there then Snyder went and make him an Emo edgelord that is depressed the entirety of the moviein BvS.

LIke what the fak man.

Fix this shit Guerrilla.
 

DragonSJG

Banned
Mar 4, 2019
14,341
JL tried to make Batman discount Iron Man and it failed. He's not supposed to be goofy like that
 

Dogo Mojo

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,179
The problem wasn't Cavill as Superman, it was the movie they made for him. Superman is not a dark character and doesn't need to be.
 

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,912
Neither. Their acting is not why people had problems with those films. If anything Batfleck was a highlight of BvS and Supes is the best thing about Justice League because he's allowed to be Superman towards the end. Him shooting the shit with Cyborg and Flash was a nice reprieve from all the darkness
 

Deleted member 60582

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 12, 2019
2,152
I must be the only person on earth who that scene landed for. I really did feel his pain.

Nope. He literally had to choose to kill the only other person in the universe like him as well as the only other surviving Kryptonian. He not only killed Zod, he killed his entire species to save a world and a people that he would never fit into. It was a heavy fucking decision.

I understand what Superman people want on screen, because everyone wants to be inspired. But it would be hard as FUCK to be Superman in this day and age because 99% of media and the public are looking for any reason to tear people down, no matter how hard you try to do the right thing. It's relentless, and the scene with Tyson and the various other personalities/politicians discussing Superman illustrates it perfectly. He's still new at being Superman, and he probably expected people to be happy when he saves them or helps someone, and the general public is as evidenced by the flood scene or the scene in Mexico when he saves the girl from a burning building, but talking heads, media and people like Bruce only seeing what the 24/7 news cycle shows them don't trust him and think he's something to be feared. He doesn't know what else he has to do to show people he's only trying to help, and he's exhausted by it.

Whether you like or dislike the story they were trying to tell, it's a pretty relevant take right now.
 

Subxero

Member
Oct 25, 2017
614
United States
I liked them both a lot. They are my favorite versions from a look costume standpoint for sure. They are supposed to be giant monsters and not tiny average sized people.

I think all the actors for Justice league were good picks except for Lex and Flash's suit.

It wasn't their fault the charaters were mishandled and the material was bad.
 
Aug 13, 2019
3,594
Don't make me choose, OP. They're both just so awful. Cavill and Affleck are both fine. The real problem is Snyder.

Superman is the most joyless and boring I think I've ever seen him. Don't get me wrong, I don't need him quipping every 30 seconds but I do need him to be his usual Paragon self. Superman should smile. Superman should see the good in humanity. Superman is a hero's hero. Superman is hope. Unfortunately, Snyder's Superman is hopeless. He's got the name, the powers, and the look, but none of what makes Superman click. None of what makes Superman so beloved. People scoff at the idea of Superman saving a cat from a tree or helping an old lady across the street, but those are what makes Superman great. Why is it so wrong to display Superman's kindness, sincerity, and hopefulness? Why does he have to be like Batman? Snyder gets rid of all that but doesn't replace it with anything compelling.


Punisher I mean Batman said:
"He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and if we believe there's even a one percent chance that he is our enemy we have to take it as an absolute certainty… and we have to destroy him."
Dumb. As. Rocks. But Batman almost works. This Batman is positioned as an older, more cynical Batman driven to the brink by the death of his son. It's seemingly implied that he used to be the Batman that I love, but he's changed. Okay, I can buy that. The problem is that Batman is a murderous psychopath both before and after his confrontation with Superman. He hasn't actually changed by the end of BvS, he just doesn't want to kill Superman anymore. There was never going to be a path to redemption for his character because Zack Snyder didn't think there was anything particularly wrong with Batman's killing sprees. One would think that almost killing an innocent man would make Batman reconsider his use of lethal force. Nope. Honestly, it just makes me wonder how many innocents Snyder's Batman has killed over the years.


The core problem here is that Zack Snyder is a cynic and that conflicts heavily with Superman and Batman and what they stand for.
 

LakeEarth

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,198
Ontario
Like many have said, it is not a problem with the actors. It's what they had them do. And IMO a murderous Batman is much less of a sin than a nihilist Superman.
 
Oct 29, 2017
3,166
Superman but I dont think its Cavill's fault. What they did with the character is so fucking off the mark that its basically not the same character as the one from comics.