In Batman lore, the police summon the hero by projecting a magnified Bat-signal across the night sky. That’s a fitting metaphor for the character’s much-debated history in movies, which has cast an unusually large shadow thanks to fans convinced, in their minds, precisely how the Dark Knight should be depicted.
Created in 1939, Batman isn’t the first superhero or even necessarily the best. But different approaches to adapting him for the screen have provoked inordinate passion among fans, including knee-jerk reactions that border on the hysterical. That included the howls that greeted casting Michael Keaton in the 1980s (admittedly an unorthodox choice) and perhaps especially Ben Affleck in 2013.
In a December interview with Howard Stern, Affleck admitted feeling “hurt” by an online petition that circulated opposing him starring in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” For his part, Stern pointed out that Batman aficionados have a track record of complaining “no matter who gets that role.”
Through the years, fans seeking fidelity to the comics have had reason to be wary and suspicious of Hollywood.
