Ben Affleck says that he “hated” the Batsuit, and that it was “horrendous to wear” and “made it difficult to make the movie”.
Speaking to GQ, Affleck said that the main issue with the elaborate costume was the heat it generated. “They don’t breathe. They’re made to look the way they want them to look. There’s no thought put into the human being. So what happens is that you just start sweating … So in that thing, you’d just be pouring water, because you have that cowl over it. Like, there’s one thing to wear the suit, but once you cover your head, I guess that’s where all your heat kind of escapes and you feel it.”
Affleck said that even highly trained stunt performers found it difficult to wear the suit for long periods. “They could do that for about like 45, 50 minutes and then they’re like gonna get heatstroke. So you had to come out of it.”
He added: “It just made it difficult to make the movie, because you’re so hot. It also does not make you feel very heroic, because you’re instantly exhausted and really sweaty.”
Affleck played Batman in two features directed by Zack Snyder: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 and Justice League in 2017 (with the latter re-edited and released in 2021 as Zack Snyder’s Justice League), as well as cameos in Suicide Squad and The Flash. Affleck was originally attached to star in, direct and co-write subsequent standalone film The Batman, but was ultimately replaced in the role by Robert Pattinson after the disappointing commercial performance of Batman v Superman and Justice League.
Affleck’s Batsuit, designed by Oscar-nominated costume designer Michael Wilkinson and built by Jose Fernandez and Ironhead Studio, was reportedly made from multiple layers of Lycra and foam, taking Affleck around 25 minutes to get into it, with up to six costume assistants helping. In 2015, Wilkinson described the cowl as “incredible engineering”, saying that previous Batsuits had not allowed actors to turn their heads, and that the costume as designed was “comfortable and very flexible” and allow Affleck to perform in “a very natural and forceful way”.
Affleck’s Batsuit is not the first to attract criticism, with the “nipple suit” George Clooney wore for Batman & Robin in 1997 often cited as one of the reasons for the film’s poor performance.
