Warner Bros. is receiving a lot of flak through social media and petitions for its casting choice of Ben Affleck as the next Batman.
We get it.
He's not Christian Bale. He's not Christopher Nolan's Batman.
He's not the actor who brought in nearly $2.5 billion in ticket sales for Warner Bros over the course of three films.
However, people's irate reactions to Warner Bros. choice for the next Caped Crusader sound awfully familiar.
Remember when Heath Ledger was first cast as Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker for Christopher Nolan's 2008 "The Dark Knight" sequel?
The Internet hated that decision.
After Jack Nicholson played the iconic role in 1989, no one seemed good enough to take on the role of the Clown Prince of Crime.
Ledger then immersed himself so extremely into the role, locking himself in his hotel room for weeks on end, according to his father.
The result was by far the best performance of the Joker.
Before the film's 2008 release, Ledger died at 28 from an accidental prescription drug overdose.
The actor went on to posthumously win a bittersweet Academy Award for his role as a chaos-creating, captivating Joker, the first for which any superhero film has ever received an award for its acting.
Last year, GeekTyrant compiled a bunch of Internet reactions to Ledger's casting decision as Batman's main arch-nemesis The Joker.
Here's a sample of reactions:
"I am NOT seeing this movie if he is in it. There are over a million better choices."
"Heath Ledger? A joker? I don't think so."
"And now begins the second downfall of the Batman series … the film after this will probably introduce Robin … then Batgirl!"
"Probably thé worst casting of all time."
"Yeah great, Jokeback Mountain."
Here's one more:
"He's not exactly comic-book material, and he has to fill the impossible-to-fill shoes of Jack Nicholson, who will always be the guy most associated with The Joker."
Even Nicholson himself told MTV in late 2007 that he was furious not only over Ledger's casting but that he was never reached for the 2008 sequel.
Batfans, we hear you, but let's not rush to judgment.
SEE ALSO: Why Warner Bros. picked Ben Affleck to play Batman
