You might assume that one of the most exciting aspects of playing a superhero in a movie would be stepping into the comic book-inspired costume for the first time. But, as many actors have expressed, it can also be one of the most uncomfortable parts of the job. Some of the costumes that look great onscreen are difficult or painful to wear—and one actor even found his wardrobe "humiliating." After making his debut as the DC Extended Universe's Batman in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck opened up about the "ridiculous" scenes that required him to wear "visual effects pajamas." Read on to find out more.
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Affleck's costume was created using digital effects.
In fact, Affleck wasn't even wearing a Batsuit for the entire movie. As reported by Batman News, the actor told Total Film that, in some scenes, his costume was created with computer-generated imagery (CGI), so that he could move around as much as needed for action sequences.
Affleck called the motion capture suit he had to wear to achieve this "visual effects pajamas" and characterized the experience of acting in the outfit "the most humiliating, ridiculous thing in the world."
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He understood the purpose of it, however.
Tinseltown / ShutterstockAffleck added that while he didn't enjoy wearing the motion capture suit, he saw why it was necessary.
"You can move freely, and they can put [the suit] on digitally," he continued. "It’s a little more humiliating to wear, but it’s easier for the digital effects guys." He joked, "You can see who the priority is."
As Batman News points out, there was a physical version of the costume created and later exhibited at events like Comic Con. This Batsuit looks especially bulky compared to Caped Crusader costumes from past adaptations. The website also notes that Affleck did wear the physical Batman costume for some of filming, so it's not CGI in every scene.
The real costume wasn't comfortable either.
In an interview with Miami TV station WSVN Affleck complained that the armored suit may have looked cooler but was uncomfortable for different reasons.
"It’s heavy," the actor said. "They screw you in, you can’t get out. You have to have guys come over with drills to get you out, so it’s kind of claustrophobic, and it's a little restrictive, and it's heavy. But it’s what you need to do if you’re going to fight Superman, you know. You gotta go prepared."
Additionally, a source told the U.K.'s Daily Star that Affleck was having issues with the costume during filming. "The suit is extremely restrictive. Ben finds it hard to perform basic tasks and struggles to look natural," the source said. "He’s also been complaining of problems with breathing, given how tight the suit is." They added that it was difficult for Affleck to go to the bathroom. "He’s constantly trying to avoid going to the toilet because it’s such an ordeal. The entire production has to stop and begin the tedious process of peeling the suit on and off. It’s not an ideal situation."
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Christian Bale offered him some Batsuit advice.
Christian Bale played Bruce Wayne in a trilogy of movies directed by Christopher Nolan that were released between 2005 and 2012. In 2016, Extra asked Bale what advice he'd given Affleck about the role, particularly when it came to the costume.
"I said be able to turn your head, because it's a nightmare when you can’t turn your head when you’re going to be fighting people. Having a cape is silly when you’re in a fight, anyway, but we’ll just have to ignore that," Bale said. "But, mostly, if you’re going to play a superhero, be able to take a piss by yourself, because otherwise it doesn’t feel very super-heroic. So, I just said have a zip or something, so he can take care of business himself whereas I had to have someone take care of business for me."
Affleck donned a different superhero costume in the past.
The Batsuit wasn't the first superhero costume Affleck didn't enjoy wearing. In 2003, he starred in Daredevil, which he said not long afterwards was enough to make him not want to play a masked vigilante again.
As reported by the Irish Examiner, in 2006, Affleck said, "By playing a superhero in Daredevil, I have inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero. Wearing a costume was a source of humiliation for me and something I wouldn't want to do again soon."
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