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Stars, directors tweet about Batman casting: Give Ben Affleck a chance!

Not everyone was super-excited about the announcement on Aug. 22 that Ben Affleck had been cast as superhero Batman. One analysis had 71 percent of tweets against him in just the first hour after the announcement was made, while a Change.org petition asking for his removal from the role now has 50,000 signatures. But some highly-placed voices in the industry, including former Bat-folk and a fello
Ben Affleck
TODAY
Batman and Ben Affleck.
Hollywood vets are bucking the fan trend to shut down Ben Affleck as Batman.Today

Not everyone was super-excited about the announcement on Aug. 22 that Ben Affleck had been cast as superhero Batman. One analysis had 71 percent of tweets against him in just the first hour after the announcement was made, while a Change.org petition asking for his removal from the role now has 50,000 signatures. 

But some highly-placed voices in the industry, including former Bat-folk and a fellow director, are happy to climb on the Affleck bat-wagon.

Val Kilmer (who can currently be seen as Mark Twain onstage in "Citizen Twain") played Batman in "Batman Forever" in 1995 (and fought against Jim Carrey's Riddler), and tweeted this entreaty to skeptical Bat-fans:

Give+Ben+a+chance!

—+Val+Kilmer+(@ValEKilmer)+August+23,+2013+

On a different bat channel, the man who created the original TV version, Adam West, had some key words of advice:

Remember+Ben,+with+the+cape+and+cowl+comes+great+responsibility+(and+lots+of+heat).+Bring+deodorant.+#batman+@BenAffleck

—+Adam+West+(@therealadamwest)+August+23,+2013+

And if there's anyone who knows about keeping superheroes super, it's "Avengers" director Joss Whedon, who gave Affleck his own seal of approval:

Affleck'll+crush+it.+He's+got+the+chops,+he's+got+the+chin+--+just+needs+the+material.+Affleck+&+Cavill+toe+to+toe+--+I'm+in.

—+Joss+Whedon+(@josswhedon)+August+24,+2013+

And one other director, Kevin Smith (who directed Affleck in 2004's "Jersey Girl") had a less-printable, but seemingly positive, take on the casting. As he noted a tweet, thanks to the casting, "I've seen Batman naked!"