Ben Affleck’s Daredevil vs. Batman: A Tale of Two Vigilantes
Ben Affleck is one of the few actors who can say he’s played not one, but two legendary comic book vigilantes: Marvel’s Daredevil in the 2003 film and DC’s Batman in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017, 2021). Both roles came with sky-high expectations, both roles came with massive scrutiny, and both show how Affleck evolved not just as an actor, but as a performer navigating comic book cinema at two very different eras.
Let’s break down how his Daredevil stacks up against his Batman across performance, design, source material, writing/direction, and lasting legacy.
Performance
As Daredevil, Affleck had the unenviable task of bringing Matt Murdock to life in an era before Marvel Studios’ shared universe dominance. His performance often gets lost beneath the campy tone of the film, but when you rewatch, you see hints of sincerity: his courtroom scenes and his quiet moments with Elektra show an actor trying to play the tortured soul beneath the mask. Unfortunately, the script didn’t give him much to work with, and his Daredevil often feels one-note.
Fast forward to Batman, and Affleck is an entirely different beast. His Bruce Wayne is older, world-weary, and visibly scarred by decades of fighting crime. The sheer physicality Affleck brought to the role—bulkier, more brutal, almost terrifying in fight sequences—helped him stand out. His Batman wasn’t the detective genius of the comics so much as the war-weary soldier, but it worked. You believed in this Batman’s rage, his exhaustion, and even his moral conflict.
Winner: Batman. Affleck had more control, presence, and emotional nuance in the cape and cowl.
Design
The Daredevil suit in 2003 was… divisive. A full leather getup with odd seams, zippers, and a sheen that felt more nightclub than Hell’s Kitchen. It wasn’t the worst adaptation of a comic suit, but it wasn’t iconic either. It dated itself almost instantly.
Affleck’s Batman, on the other hand, is widely regarded as one of the best suit designs ever put on screen. Inspired heavily by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, it emphasized size, intimidation, and tactical realism. The gray fabric and bulky frame felt ripped straight from the comics. Fans still praise the warehouse fight sequence as the closest live-action Batman has ever looked to his comic counterpart in motion.
Winner: Batman. The Daredevil suit was an early 2000s misfire; the Batfleck suit is iconic.
Source Material
Here’s where things get trickier. Affleck’s Daredevil drew loosely from Frank Miller’s work and Kevin Smith’s run, but the film muddled its influences. It wanted to be gritty but also campy, brutal but PG-13 accessible. The character’s Catholic guilt, moral dilemmas, and noir roots were buried beneath awkward pacing and over-the-top set pieces. Affleck clearly tried to tap into the deeper layers of Matt Murdock, but the movie never let him.
As Batman, Affleck benefited from Snyder’s laser focus on Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. While not everyone loved Snyder’s interpretation, it gave Affleck a solid foundation. His Batman may not have been the world’s greatest detective, but he captured the weary, disillusioned, violent Bruce Wayne perfectly. The downside? Snyder’s darker tone alienated some fans who preferred a more heroic Batman.
Winner: Tie. Both roles were tethered to Frank Miller-inspired arcs, but Daredevil was sabotaged by inconsistent tone while Batman stuck closer to the source but polarized audiences.
Writing and Direction
Daredevil (2003) was, bluntly, a mess. Director Mark Steven Johnson struggled to juggle romance, origin story, and villain arcs in under two hours. The editing was clumsy, tonal shifts were jarring, and Affleck never had a chance to shine under the weight of poorly written dialogue. Critics roasted the film, and Affleck later admitted he regretted the role.
Batman benefited from Snyder’s vision, which—while divisive—at least gave Affleck a clear direction. His Batman wasn’t meant to be likable at first; he was meant to be terrifying, even villainous in BvS. By Justice League (especially the Snyder Cut), Affleck’s Bruce softened into a leader again. Snyder’s flaws as a writer/director are well-documented, but he gave Affleck material meaty enough to chew on.
Winner: Batman. Even with Snyder’s polarizing storytelling, it beats the confused disaster of Daredevil.
Legacy
Affleck’s Daredevil is often considered one of the low points of early superhero cinema. While some fans defend it, most agree the role held him back more than it helped him. It wasn’t until the Netflix series (with Charlie Cox) that Daredevil got the adaptation he deserved.
Batman, meanwhile, has become one of Affleck’s defining roles. Despite mixed reactions to the films themselves, his Batman is now remembered fondly, with many fans still lobbying for an Affleck-directed solo Batman project. He went from one of the most mocked casting choices in comic book history to one of the most respected.
Winner: Batman. Hands down.
Verdict
Ben Affleck’s Daredevil was a stumble in an era when superhero movies were still finding their footing, while his Batman was a late-career redemption that reminded audiences just how powerful he could be in a cape and cowl. The contrast is striking: Daredevil feels like a role Affleck wishes he could erase, while Batman feels like one he owned, even if the films weren’t universally loved.
In the end, Affleck’s legacy as a comic book hero will rest on Batman, not Daredevil. The devil of Hell’s Kitchen may have been a misstep, but Gotham’s Dark Knight proved Affleck had the chops to embody a true legend.
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