Ben Affleck's Batman might look like a bit miserable in the picture so far, but that’s because brooding is one of the main qualifications required to portray the Dark Knight. The actor himself appears to be quite happy with his choice to don the Bat suit for Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and spar with Henry Cavill’s Superman.

When asked by EW about the outcry that surrounded his casting, he’s proved sanguine – and said he expected the noise.

“This is part and parcel of these movies now. There are a lot of active fans with a lot of opinions. To me, having been through a certain amount of that, it doesn’t really… Everyone’s entitled to their opinion,” he says. “I wouldn’t have taken the part if I didn’t trust my instincts in terms of the filmmaking. I think Chris Terrio wrote a terrific script. Zack’s a great visual director. And there’s an interesting take. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could do it. I have the benefit of a lot of that understanding. But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

As for his take on the Caped Crusader, now he’s in the middle of portraying him for the first time? He’s still figuring it out.

“It’s a process that I’ll probably have better perspective on when I’m done. I can tell you that every time I do a role, it’s the responsibility of an actor to get their physical self as close to the role as possible. And Batman’s obviously got a set of expectations that are tough. So I spent a lot of time working out. And it’s a far cry from Gone Girl where my character is described as “puffy and hung-over.” I want you to know I worked equally hard at both!”

We can guess which was easier. For more from Affleck, head to EW. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is still listed for a UK release on April 29, 2016, but we imagine that will move closer to the new US date of March 25, 2016. Gone Girl, meanwhile, arrives on October 3 this year.