When Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fans of the more recent Batman films and comics alike were livid. The Batman franchise had already suffered from casting Val Kilmer and George Clooney as the Dark Knight. Then came Christian Bale, whom almost everyone accepted as a good fit.

Why in the world would the Universe foist Ben Affleck on us as Batman?

It turns out that Ben Affleck was not so sure of the choice himself.

“My first reaction was, ‘Are you sure?’ ” Affleck told Entertainment Weekly. “At the time I was 40, 41, and had just finished Argo, and I felt like ‘This seems like a strange way to get to Batman.’”

Hate Ben Affleck as Batman already

— Jayde Morrissey (@Jayde_morrissey) July 2, 2015

It turns out that Affleck has an ulterior motive for taking the role. He wanted to dig deeper into big-budget production. So many of his films have hd nowhere near the budget as a superhero flick gets.

“I thought if I was going to direct a movie like this, which I would like to do at some point, I need to have something of a refresher course of how these movies are done,” says Affleck, who is rumored to be looking at directing a standalone Batman flick once this one blows over.

Of course, he would cast himself as Batman again.

Ben Affleck highlights his acting choices and the direction of the Bruce Wayne side of Batman.

“He really keeps up the image of the playboy, actively,” Affleck said. “So you have more of a dichotomy which I thought was really fun, and a little sad, like the aging playboy.”

I still hate Ben Affleck as Batman. I don't think I'll ever like it. Such a terrible casting choice in my opinion.

— Matthew Glosek (@Mattnificent7) July 2, 2015

With the recent announcement of Affleck’s split with Jennifer Garner, his turn as Batman is now under even deeper scrutiny. If he hopes to do a standalone Batman film in the future, he will have to convince fans that it is better than his Daredevil. That film was also much-maligned.

Maybe Ben Affleck should stay away from superhero films. He seems to be much better liked doing deeper roles anyway.

All that kept me from truly disliking Ben Affleck was his love for Jennifer Garner and their cuteness together. Guess it's hate time Batman.

— Jason Thomas Scott (@jtsstudios) June 30, 2015