Ben Affleck Nabs Surprising Support for Batman Role

Holy Batman!

Ben Affleck received some unlikely support regarding his controversial casting as Batman in Zack Snyder's upcoming sequel to "Man of Steel" … from another man up for the part.

Josh Brolin, who was rumored to be in talks for Affleck's role opposite Henry Cavill's Superman, confirmed that he had been chatting with the director about playing the caped crusader.

"We did. I didn't have conversations about it, but Zack, that was part of his idea. It just didn't turn out. It's OK. It is OK. You know, another scenario might have worked better, but I'm happy for Ben," Brolin told The Huffington Post at the premiere of his film "Labor Day" Saturday evening at TIFF.

The typically scruffy star wasn't the only thespian whose name had been tossed into the bat cave. Brolin's "Gangster Squad" co-star Ryan Gosling was also rumored to be in the mix to play Bruce Wayne and was joined by a slew of other actors including former Batman Christian Bale, Richard Armitage, Joe Manganiello, Matthew Goode, Max Martini, and "Teen Wolf" star Tyler Hoechlin.

Brolin may have been an intriguing idea for the role, but he certainly didn't deliver the goods in another big budget comic book flick. In 2010, the 45-year-old actor starred opposite Megan Fox in "Jonah Hex," which only nabbed a dismal $10 million at the box office, despite its $47 million budget.

While the "True Grit" star didn't get the coveted gig, he says the backlash from critics and fans over Affleck's casting is totally undeserved. "I've never seen such a global reaction in my life," Brolin said. "I feel for him, truly. I would not want to be him right now. The reaction becomes so personal. It's like, 'F*** this guy, I wish he was dead.' And you're like, 'What? Dude, seriously? This guy is just working like you are. He's doing the same thing you are. He's trying to make the best choices he can.'"

There is one person who agrees with Brolin's sentiments over the Batman role: Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner. The "Dallas Buyers Club" actress told MTV of her hubby's new role, "I was excited for him. I was excited because he had a real take on what he wanted to do, and you know, I have to say, my husband is a pretty great storyteller himself, and I'm excited to watch him do it."

The still-untitled Superman flick will begin filming in 2014, but until then we'll just have to wait and see if Affleck can fill out the cowls of the comic book legend.