The internet almost exploded Thursday night when Warner Bros. officially announced that Ben Affleck had been cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne in Zack Snyder's upcoming sequel to Man of Steel . This was a surprise to many, especially given that all the other casting rumors for the role had actors such as Josh Brolin, Joe Manganiello, Richard Armitage, Matthew Goode, and Max Martini as being up for the role, with nary a mention of Affleck.