Ben Affleck is the best Batman of all time, say first Dawn of Justice audiences

Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is released this Friday, and pressure for the $250 million blockbuster – which is pitting two of the biggest comic book heroes of all time against each other and effectively launching Warner Brothers’s DC on-screen universe – to deliver the super-goods is exceptionally high.

Christian Bale: my Batman could never compare to Heath Ledger's Joker

Luckily for Snyder, if the reaction from the film’s LA premiere is anything to go by, it looks as if the famously divisive director has done his job. We managed to find one less-than-thrilled attendee (see the post below from Buzzfeed's Daniel Toy), but on the whole, Dawn of Justice is being hailed as an action-packed, all-round triumph. Some audience members – if your name’s Christian Bale, you may want to stop reading now – are even describing Ben Affleck as their "favourite" Batman.

Obviously, first reactions always have to be taken with a pinch of salt – it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and tweet a reaction that’s more excitement/adrenaline than considered, critical appraisal.  But, that said, the fact that the film is provoking this kind of “YES!” response suggests that, at the very least, it’s going to be a pretty fun watch. 

Reading through the posts, the general consensus appears to be that Ben Affleck’s older, wearier Batman is a success – a marked contrast to the cries of dismay that greeted the actor’s casting back in 2014. (While we’re on the subject of people being wrong in retrospect, it’s also worth remembering the initial 2006 reaction to Heath Ledger’s casting as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.)

But it seems as if the film’s real hit could be Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, who apparently steals the show (much as she did with her “I thought she was with you” introduction in the trailer). Elsewhere on the internet – in the more spoiler-filled regions of Reddit and the like – there’s been a lot of discussion of her character. We’re not giving anything away here, but suffice to say, it sounds as if Wonder Woman does indeed play a key role in the film, making it more of a three-hander (and paving the way for her forthcoming standalone movie, as well as DC ensemble piece Justice League).

In other, sadder news, it was also revealed yesterday that a terminally ill British man named Barry “Bazz” Henderson-Gates – who died four weeks ago – was able to watch Dawn of Justice ahead of its release, at a secret screening organised by Snyder and Warner Bros. The screening took place after a campaign from his friends and family, and the launch of a #batman4bazz hashtag.

According to a statement released by Bazz’s sister Gwen, the film more than met her brother’s expectations: Bazz described it as “the greatest”.