When 'Batman vs. Superman' announced that Ben Affleck would be the new Batman, it wasn't exactly met with worldwide acclaim. And, by that, we mean pretty much everyone hated it. (To be fair, we really liked it!) Affleck hasn't talked much about the film since he was cast, but for a recent Entertainment Weekly cover story on his other upcoming film, 'Gone Girl,' he admitted he knows you hate him as Batman, and he thinks that's great. Wait, what?

Affleck is no dummy. He's been through the Hollywood wringer before (and that's part of what makes his 'Gone Girl' casting so perfect), so he knew the Batfleck backlash was coming and is perfectly OK with it. "You know what? It’s great that people care that much." We might say that some people care a little too much, but that's besides the point. Affleck even admitted that the pressure is on Team 'Batman vs. Superman' to deliver and prove the haters wrong. "It’s incumbent on you to do a good job and make it as excellent as you possibly can."

With all the pressure and all the backlash he knew he was going to receive, why did he even bother? After all, this is a guy who just won a Best Picture Oscar for 'Argo' and certainly didn't need to get back in front of the camera where he'd be, once again, highly scrutinized. He explains:

I wouldn’t have taken the part if I didn’t trust my instincts in terms of the filmmaking. I think Chris Terrio wrote a terrific script. Zack’s a great visual director. And there’s an interesting take. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could do it. I have the benefit of a lot of that understanding. But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That’s a big part of this international sport.

So far, he's saying all the right things about 'Batman vs. Superman' without really saying anything at all. But, no one ever sets out to make a bad movie. Everyone goes in with the right intentions. As Affleck himself even puts it, "At the end of the day, the movie’s all that matters." If 'Batman vs. Superman' is great and launches the 'Justice League' universe in a memorable and exciting day, the Batfleck controversy will be a funny footnote. If it doesn't, Affleck will have to - however fair or unfair it is - shoulder a good part of the blame.

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