Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Ben Affleck's Batman is ready for his close-up – and he's not smiling for the camera.
Attendees at the San Diego Comic-Con received a pleasant surprise on Thursday with the first close-up look at Ben Affleck in the famous Batman mask he wears in the upcoming film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Unveiled with minimal fanfare at the DC Comics booth, the profile shot shows a grim and unshaven Affleck in character as the iconic crime fighter.
Upon close inspection, Affleck's eyes appear to be closed in the photo, which was included in DC's expansive mural montage to commemorate Batman's 75th anniversary.
Along with the advance photo, Warner Bros put the actual costume Affleck wears in Batman v Superman on display on the Comic-Con floor.
DC Comics co-publisher Dan Didio was the first Comic-Con attendee to post a picture of the new Batman costume, which he tweeted with the caption, "Batfleck costume is in the house!"
Scheduled for theatrical release on May 6, 2016, Batman v Superman casts Affleck as the Dark Knight and Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel. Currently filming in Detroit, the film also stars Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.
Last May, Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder provided salivating fans with their initial glimpse of Affleck as Batman.
Snyder himself snapped the photo showing Affleck standing beside the Batmobile in full costume that seems to include substantial muscle padding.
Within one hour of Snyder's posting, the Batman photo received close to 20,000 retweets, according to People.