Fans of DC Comics' Batman were up in arms last week when Ben Affleck was cast as the Caped Crusader in the planned Man of Steel sequel. But Justin Timberlake, for one, thinks the Oscar winner is the right man for the job. Speaking about the controversial casting news in an interview with Fresh 102.7 on Tuesday, Aug. 27, Timberlake said he was looking forward to seeing his Runner, Runner costar in the role.
"Ben Affleck as Batman — I like it," the "Suit & Tie" singer said. "I worked with Ben last summer, and I've seen his process. I think he's a brilliant filmmaker. I think he's an extreme talent, so he could surprise a lot of people."
The former 'N Sync boy bander, 32, even hinted that he'd be up to play opposite Affleck's Batman — but not in the role of his sidekick, Robin. "Not a chance in hell," Timberlake said, laughing. "I ain't playin' Robin. I have no aspiration to ever be a superhero in a movie."
He does, however, harbor a not-so-secret desire to channel an iconic Batman baddie. "Now villain! I'll tell you — the villain I want to play more than anything, because I grew up loving Batman, funny enough, is the Riddler," he confessed. "The Riddler is my favorite villain."
"The Riddler was like a sociopath," he said of the character, who was played by Jim Carrey in 1995's Batman Forever. "He was proper crazy. So if I'm gonna play crazy, I'm wanna play proper crazy."
"I'm ready," he added. "The Riddler. Gimme a call."