Casting Ben Affleck In The MCU – 10 Perfect Marvel Characters For The Former Batman

Ben Affleck has left his role as Batman in the DCEU behind, and there are some exciting roles he could play if the actor moved over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Affleck has a history with superhero roles, with the actor first having played Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, in 2003’s Daredevil. Then came Affleck’s biggest superhero role, with the star playing Batman in the DCEU.

Following the end of the DCEU, a new actor will play Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe. However, that might not mean the end for the actor and superhero films, as Affleck is rumored to have had talks with Marvel about joining an upcoming MCU project. Instead of playing a multiverse Daredevil variant, Affleck could instead be part of some of the best MCU movies in the future by taking one of a few exciting roles.

10 Dario Agger

The Villain Would Be Perfect For Thor 5

Christian Bale was heavily rumored to play Dario Agger when he was cast in Thor: Love and Thunder. That never ended up happening, with Bale, another former Batman, playing Gorr the God Butcher in the MCU movie. However, that does not mean that Agger will never make his live-action debut in the MCU, as Affleck would be a fine choice to play the character in an MCU movie that is looking more likely every day — Chris Hemsworth’s Thor 5.

Dario Agger is a villain linked to Thor in the comics, with the character being the President of Roxxon — which appeared in Disney+’s Loki — and a minotaur. With humans being anti-alien life on Earth after Secret Invasion, Agger’s Roxxon and other corporations could come to a head with Asgard, and Affleck has the skills to play the sleazy businessman and evil minotaur perfectly.

9 Doctor Doom

Affleck Has The Gravitas For A Major MCU Villain

One of the most exciting characters Affleck could play in the MCU is, without a doubt, Doctor Doom. While the villain has not yet been confirmed, Doom has appeared in all the live-action Fantastic Four movies so far, which means the chances are high for the character to at least have a cameo role in next year’s The Fantastic Four.

At 51, Affleck is only two years older than the MCU’s Reed Richards actor, Pedro Pascal, which makes him the right age to play the new Doctor Doom. Affleck’s career has included several complex or dark roles, which makes him a perfect choice to play Doctor Doom, who is one of the most intriguing Marvel characters of all time. With Kang the Conqueror’s future up in the air, Marvel could pivot to Doctor Doom, and Affleck is a name that could anchor the Multiverse Saga as Doom.

8 Nick Fury Sr.

An MCU Reboot Is Rumored To Happen

While Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury in the MCU, his version of the character is not the original one from the comics. Affleck could play the original version, Nick Fury Sr., in the MCU. Marvel Studios is rumored to be looking into a reboot of the franchise after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, and while multiple actors could continue in their roles, the 75-year-old Jackson is unlikely to stay on as Nick Fury for another decade or more.

With the Multiverse Saga about to get some major events like Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming two Avengers movies, one of the projects could see Affleck’s MCU debut. The actor’s version of Fury could come from another universe and stay on Earth-616 after the reboot. Affleck has played gritty, commanding characters in the past, and the actor would fit the more militaristic Nick Fury.

7 Cable

Marvel Could Recast The Hero

Deadpool & Wolverine‘s cast is bringing several actors from Fox’s two Deadpool movies and the X-Men franchise in general. However, there are two notable absences, as neither Zazie Beetz’s Domino nor Josh Brolin’s Cable were brought back for the MCU movie. Based on that, there is a chance that Marvel could recast Cable for the MCU, especially since Brolin was already Thanos, and that could open the door for Affleck to take over.

Marvel Studios recently showed that it knows how to handle Cable correctly. The character was one of the players in the animated X-Men ’97, which has been lauded by many as the best X-Men adaptation outside the comics. Affleck could continue adding to that X-Men resurgence, as the actor has the skills to make Cable’s complex backstory shine through and be just as emotional as it was in the Disney+ series, and the star would also do great in action sequences.

6 Black Bolt

The Hero Is Already Part Of The Multiverse Saga

Black Bolt and the Inhumans have a complicated history in live-action. After the failed Inhumans series, Marvel decided not to move forward with plans for the characters. Years after the show’s release, Inhumans‘ Black Bolt actor Anson Mount appeared in a comic book-accurate costume as the hero in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As the character was a multiverse variant who died in the film, the MCU’s Black Bolt role is still open.

Affleck could play the leader of the Inhumans after the rumored MCU reboot. Black Bolt has immense power and commands the scene without uttering a single word. After his time as Batman, Affleck knows a thing or two about superheroes who can be intimidating even in silence. The actor also has the gravitas needed for the regal role, as Black Bolt is the main player of the Inhuman Royal Family.

5 Mister Sinister

The Villain Would Be Perfect For The X-Men Reboot

With the X-Men reboot set to come to the MCU in the future, there are many exciting roles within the franchise that will need to be cast in the MCU. As Fox released several movies about the team, the MCU’s version of the X-Men would be better suited to go up against foes who have not appeared yet in live-action or showed up in very small roles.

On that logic, the villainous Mister Sinister would be one of the best candidates to serve as the first main foe the MCU’s X-Men face. Playing in his favor is the fact that the villain was already used by Marvel Studios in X-Men ’97, which could tease their plans for the live-action X-Men. Affleck would excel at such a dark and manipulative role, with the actor being able to be charismatic or terrifying as Mister Sinister at the flick of a switch.

4 Nighthawk

Marvel Could Have Fun With The Squadron Supreme

Nighthawk would be one of the funniest casting decisions Marvel could make regarding Affleck. The character is none other than Marvel Comics’ parody of Batman, and having the latest actor to play DC’s Dark Knight in a cinematic universe join the MCU as Nighthawk would be hilarious. That is why Affleck playing Nighthawk could be one of the secret cameos in store for Deadpool & Wolverine, as the meta casting would fit in perfectly with Deadpool’s brand of humor.

However, there is a way Marvel could also play the casting straight. Nighthawk is a member of the Squadron Supreme in the comics, which is a parody of the Justice League. The Multiverse Saga has received criticism for not feeling expansive, and a way to correct that could be to have a project or two take place in another universe. A live-action film adapting the Squadron Supreme’s 1985 comic series, where the team tried to take control of the world to make it better, could be effective, with Affleck’s Nighthwak in the main role.

3 Ares

Another Thor 5 Role Affleck Could Play

Ares has yet to appear in the MCU; however, the character was teased in two different Thor movies. First, Thor: Ragnarok has a giant sculpture of Ares wearing his helmet at the Grandmaster’s palace alongside Beta Ray Bill and other characters who had been gladiator champions in Sakaar. Then, Thor: Love and Thunder introduced Zeus, Ares’ father, and showed that several gods are actually alive in the MCU.

Ares has gone up against Thor and Hercules multiple times in the comics. That makes him a great candidate for Thor 5, as Hercules will be going after Thor for embarrassing and attacking Zeus, and after the characters resolve their issues, they could team up against Ares, a common foe. Affleck would be the perfect actor to stand up to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, with the former Batman having the physique and action experience to make the God of War a frightening figure.

2 Beast

The Hero Recently Appeared In The MCU

There are many interesting roles Affleck could play in the X-Men reboot. However, by the time the actor was done with the DCEU, Affleck seemed to want to leave the tights that come in superhero roles like Batman and the X-Men behind. Beast would be a character who is important to the X-Men and would allow Affleck to still be free from the superhero workouts and suits through the use of CGI.

Kelsey Grammer, who played Hank McCoy, aka Beast, in Fox’s original X-Men movies, recently returned as a version of Beast in The Marvels. While the MCU has seen Beast appear, the character will more likely than not be simply a multiversal variant and not the main Beast of the franchise. This way, Affleck could still play the X-Man in the MCU. Beast would be a different kind of role for Affleck, but the actor has shown in a couple of films that he could be a great mentor to young heroes as Beast.

1 Norman Osborn

Ben Affleck Could Bring A New Version Of The Character To Life

Finally, Affleck could excel as such a major Marvel character as Norman Osborn. Spider-Man: No Way Home used the multiverse to bring back Willem Dafoe as his version of Green Goblin from Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man movies. However, the character did not stay in the MCU, leaving the role vacant for another actor to play Marvel Studios’ version of Norman Osborn in the future.

Affleck could deliver an intimidating performance as both Osborn and Green Goblin if the MCU chose to go the villain route with the character. That said, it would be more exciting to see Marvel subvert expectations and use Osborn in an anti-hero role. The character could don the Iron Patriot armor like he did in the comics, perhaps joining the Thunderbolts in the MCU. With his superhero movie past, Ben Affleck would make for a fine MCU addition, either as a villain or a hero, and Osborn could be either.