The year was 1997, the movie was “Batman & Robin,” and it nearly destroyed a franchise and George Clooney‘s career. The reviled Joel Schumacher entry was easily the worst of the post-Tim Burton Batman films, with the nipple suit only being the first of the many problems with the flick. It ground the Warner Bros. property to a halt for almost a decade until Christopher Nolan‘s “Batman Begins” came along in 2005, and along with the flop of “The Peacemaker,” ended Clooney’s dalliance (at the time) with being a blockbuster leading man. (He rebounded by teaming up with auteurs Steven Soderbergh and David O. Russell for “Out Of Sight” and “Three Kings” in 1998 and 1999). But the actor is fully aware he wasn’t the right man for the cape and cowl.
Doing the rounds for Alfonso Cuarón‘s “Gravity,” Clooney caught up with Empire magazine and when asked to weigh on Ben Affleck‘s casting as Batman in the upcoming “Batman Vs. Superman,” the actor was clear that he probably wasn’t the right guy to have an opinion. “I am the least qualified person to comment on anyone playing the role of Batman since I so terribly destroyed the part,” he said, adding: “I tend to look at it like this – let’s just see what the movie is before everyone starts beating him up. He is a smart man, he knows what he is doing.”
Kind and wise words from Clooney, who just happened to be one of the producers on “Argo,” and who seems to be saying to the haters to chill until we see the results. So until July 15, 2015 (or whenever the first pic of Affleck in costume drops or the first teaser trailer arrives), you’ll have to keep fighting it out amongst yourselves. [via Comic Book Movie]
