Zack Snyder talks what constitutes a prefect big-screen Batman while defending his choice to cast Ben Affleck in the role.

Director Zack Snyder is known for his tumultuous time in the DCEU, which generated mostly polarizing reactions from most viewers. In a new interview, Snyder opened up about several aspects of his professional life, including his work in the DC Comics franchise. He also spoke about his idea of a perfect Batman.

Christian Bale in Batman Begins

During the conversation, Snyder discussed the attributes he looked for while casting the role of DCEU’s Batman. Snyder’s words confirm that the director feels neither Christian Bale nor Michael Keaton made the perfect Batman for one particular reason. At the same time, Snyder defended casting Ben Affleck as Batman. Here is everything Zack Snyder said about his take on DC’s Dark Knight.

Zack Snyder Reveals His Perfect Big-Screen Batman Is Neither Christian Bale Nor Michael Keaton

Zack Snyder on the Joe Rogan Experience

Director Zack Snyder recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, to promote his upcoming Netflix film Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. During the podcast, Snyder was asked about his take on Christian Bale‘s Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

While Snyder appreciated Bale’s performance, he felt the actor lacked one key attribute to be the perfect Batman.

“He’s a great Batman, but he’s still, like, you know, 5’10”. 

Snyder made the above statement highlighting how Bale was short to play Batman. The 300 director further elaborated on his comment by explaining that Batman traditionally has a larger stature in the comics. He said:

“He has this genetic gift of just being this big f***ing dude.”

From Snyder’s words, it is evident that the director sees height as a key attribute for a convincing and near-perfect depiction of Batman. As a result, Bale, who is 6 feet tall, and Michael Keaton, who is 5 feet 8 inches tall are not ideal fits for Batman in Snyder’s opinion.

Zack Snyder Explains Why Ben Affleck Was the Right Choice to Play Batman

Ben Affleck in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

During the same podcast, Snyder defended the casting actor Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Snyder revealed that Affleck’s stature was ideal for the role as the actor is roughly 6 feet 4 inches tall and also wore boots that increased his height by two inches. Snyder stated:

“Affleck’s 6’4″, you know? He’s a legit big dude. And the shoes, the boots are like two inches, so he’s literally almost 6’6″ in the costume.”

At the same time, Snyder also revealed that Affleck’s chin stood out of the cowl perfectly making him an ideal Batman. The director added that Affleck gained muscle that enhanced his physical stature and made him look like a genuinely scary figure, an attribute crucial for convincingly playing Batman.

“I mean, look at him… he’s legitimately… that’s Batman to me.”

Snyder made the above statement in appreciation of Affleck’s picture-perfect look as Batman. Hence, it is clear that in Snyder’s vision, Affleck was the perfect choice for the role of Dark Knight. Snyder previously expressed his admiration for Affleck’s portrayal by calling him the best Batman on the screen.

Batman v Superman and other DCEU films are streaming on Max.