Ben Affleck explains why The Dark Knight has a specific choice of word in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (CAUTION: Brief Spoiler)
When I was 19, my brother and I helped my dad (a minister) move a motor for his Chevrolet C10 pickup. It was heavy to say the least. My brother tripped and lost his balance. In the process, he dropped the motor on my big toe. I dropped an “S” bomb. And it was LOUD. My dad gave me a stern face. I looked back and said “IT HURT!”
So let’s switch focus for a moment. You are Batman. A maniacal entrepreneur/scientific genius turns the remains of a Kryptonian general into a hulkish rampaging monster. You decide to lure this…Doomsday, if you will, to an abandoned dock in Gotham in your Batwing. The beast brings your craft down, and has you cornered. His eyes and mouth illuminate to signal he’s about to unleash a heat blast. Is there a word that may come to mind in this situation?
Taking down thugs and criminals is one thing. Heck, even going toe-to-toe with The Man of Steel is one thing. But when you’re facing Doomsday, what else can you say but “Oh, sh–!” That’s what Ben Affleck thought while playing one of the heroes (at this point, you already know which one) in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in theaters now.
“I just improv’d that. I had a feeling that it would work and that it would be funny,” the actor says. “I improvised and I talked to Zack about it and I think this will really work because you don’t expect it – and because it’s Batman, and at that moment he is so incredibly overmatched.”
In a day and age were our heroes are a little more tainted, jaded, and torn, should a hero use explicit language when faced with an insurmountable challenge? And what example does this set for young viewers of Batman v Superman?
“Any kid has heard their father say that if he’s trying to hammer a nail and hammers his thumb by accident,” he says. “I think that, unfortunately, all kids are plenty exposed to that particular expression.”
Point, Ben. You son of a b—-.
