Ben Affleck Gets Real About Daredevil And Punisher In The MCU, And He Makes A Great Point

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It seems that almost every actor in Hollywood these days is associated with a major superhero franchise. The number of those who haven’t donned the mask of a superhero shrinks even further when you consider those who have been part of previous franchises. That’s why a film like The Accountant 2, featuring both The Punisher and Daredevil, appears to be a crossover of superheroes.

In the upcoming season of “Daredevil: Born Again,” Jon Bernthal reprises his role as the MCU’s Punisher. Interestingly, his next film will feature him alongside Ben Affleck, who played Daredevil in previous movies, in “The Accountant 2.” During a recent conversation with Jake Hamilton on Reelblend, the two actors discussed The Punisher and Daredevil. Affleck spoke about the distinct tone of Marvel’s different eras, suggesting that one of the MCU’s greatest accomplishments might be its consistent “clarity of tone.” Affleck expressed his thoughts…

To start off, the portrayal of the Punisher was commendable. The narrative of Daredevil presented an intriguing tale. This was a time before Kevin Feige took over management at Marvel, and he brought a sense of uniformity in tone to the films that effectively addressed the challenge of blending elements like the seriousness, humor, winking at the audience, and action sequences in a superhero movie, all while making it appear convincing. This was an era when visual effects were advancing significantly, allowing great actors to shine.

As for Daredevil, there’s a new version out now that I haven’t had a chance to watch yet. Nevertheless, I have fondness for the character and hope he does well. But if it comes down to a face-off with his Punisher, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end.

Ben Affleck notes that while the continuous narrative wasn’t the primary difference between superhero films before and after the MCU, it was the consistency of tone. Prior to the MCU, each superhero film was produced independently, resulting in a disjointed feeling as characters, aesthetics, and other elements didn’t seem to fit within the same cinematic universe.

Combining Ben Affleck’s Daredevil with either Thomas Jane’s or Ray Stevenson’s Punisher in a single story would have been incongruous due to the stark differences between their character worlds and narrative tones. Even if licensing rights were available, it wouldn’t have produced a cohesive and satisfying crossover experience.

Indeed, maintaining a consistent tone across the Marvel Cinematic Universe films has its challenges as well. Over time, some viewers might find that these movies start to resemble each other too closely, potentially leading to decreased enthusiasm for each new release. This could be due in part to the fact that the films don’t seem distinct enough from one another.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t without its flaws in terms of character pairings. For instance, Deadpool and Daredevil haven’t joined forces with the Avengers as of yet, and given the lineup of Avengers: Doomsday, it seems unlikely that this will change soon. Within the Marvel franchise itself, there are some characters whose dynamics don’t seem seamlessly integrated.

It’s unfortunate that Ben Affleck didn’t achieve success in the superhero genre, given his unique insight into the world and his obvious desire to excel. Maybe he’ll find the perfect character and collaborators who can help bring it all together. For now, it seems like Affleck has stepped away from superhero films, and I can’t fault him for that decision.

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2025-04-15 15:37