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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice releases stubbly close-up of Ben Affleck as Batman

Zack Snyder marks Batman's 75th anniversary with new pic

Christopher Hooton

Friday 25 July 2014 10:11 BST

Batman looks somber in latest photo (Zack Snyder)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder has posted a new picture of lead actor Ben Affleck on Twitter, showing a battle weary Caped Crusader with stubble and dusty mask.

Snyder posted the image in honour of the 75th anniversary of the Batman franchise.

It forms part of a photo montage DC created for Comic-Con, with the company noting on its blog: "Yes, as fans have started pointing out, within the dozens of photos and illustrations on the wall is a brand new image of Batman from the upcoming film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

"The filmmakers wanted to include this new cinematic version of the Dark Knight in the anniversary mosaic so it could be discovered by fans.”

Actors who have played Batman

Show all 14

1/14Actors who have played Batman

Actors who have played Batman

Ben Affleck...

Batfleck returns? Ben Affleck has been cast as the new Batman in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel sequel, Batman vs. Superman. The announcement was met with outrage from many fans who did not see Affleck as suitable for the role

Getty

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Ben Affleck as Batman with the batmobile in a Batman vs. Superman teaser photo tweeted by Snyder in May 2014

Zack Snyder

Actors who have played Batman

Christian Bale...

Christian Bale starred as the Caped Crusader in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, which made Batman finally, well, dark. 'Bale has exactly the balance of darkness and light that we were looking for' said Nolan. Bale had also tackled the role for 2005's Batman Begins, to generally favourable reviews bar what some critics called his 'ridiculous' husky voice

Getty Images

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Christian Bale as Batman in a scene from 2012's The Dark Knight Rises

AP

Actors who have played Batman

George Clooney...

George Clooney was cast in 1997's Batman & Robin when his career was only just taking off. The film was a shocker, not least for the famous 'bat nipples' and general camp style - it is still laughed at today. Clooney has since called the movie 'a waste of money' but luckily, it did little to harm his chances as an actor.

Getty Images

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Those 'bat nipples' are bad, aren't they? Look at them...

Warner Bros

Actors who have played Batman

Val Kilmer...

Joel Schumacher cast Val Kilmer as Batman for 1995's Batman Forever, alongside Chris O'Donnell as Robin. Kilmer reportedly accepted the job without knowing who the director was or reading the script. He clashed with Schumacher on set and his performance got mixed reviews - not one to be repeated

Reuters

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Val Kilmer's career went downhill after Batman Forever - the only time he played the superhero

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Michael Keaton...

Michael Keaton starred as Batman in 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. His casting was hugely controversial and resulted in 50,000 protest letters being sent to Warner Bros. Burton stood by Keaton's 'explosive, insane side' and kept him in the role. He was a huge hit at the box office and the first actor to reprise Batman for the big screen.

Reuters

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Michael Keaton as Batman in 1992's Batman Returns

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Adam West...

Adam West (L) and Burt Ward, who played Batman and Robin in the 1960s

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

...and here he is as Batman

Adam West played Batman for a 1966 movie and several animated series. Many know him for his camp OTT portayal of the superhero but West was later offered the role of James Bond. He declined as he believed Bond should always be British. He now makes regular appearances on Family Guy.

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Robert Lowrey

Robert Lowrey played Batman in 1949's Batman & Robin aged 36. He didn't star as the superhero in another movie but did guest-star in a 1956 episode of The Adventures of Superman - the first time a Batman actor and a Superman actor collaborated on-screen.

Rex

Actors who have played Batman

Lewis G Wilson

Lewis G Wilson was the first actor to play adult Batman in 1943 serial Batman. One critic meanly called the 23-year-old 'thick about the middle', not helped by the bizarre positioning of his utility belt. Wilson did not go on to enjoy a film career

Den of Geek

The close-up follows a full-body shot of Affleck with the Batmobile which Warner Bros released in May.

Affleck's Batsuit is set to go on display at the San Diego convention this weekend.

Apropos nada, Snyder also posted a photoshopped picture of Henry Cavill's Superman dressed as a Jedi, perhaps a nod to how his movie is competing with JJ Abrams' Star Wars sequel for attention.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in cinemas on 29 April, 2016 in the UK and 6 May in the US.

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