'Daredevil' in disguise, Affleck ready to be next big superhero

Chicago Sun-Times, May 17, 2002, by Cindy Pearlman

Spidey started it. Now get ready for a new wave of comic book heroes being turned into movies. The biggest in production right now is "Daredevil," starring Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, Jennifer ("Alias") Garner and Chicago's own Michael Clarke Duncan.

Affleck tells GLARE that signing on to play a blind superhero didn't require might on his part. "First of all, the script is fantastic. It's fantasy and pure fun," Affleck says. "It also seemed like a no-brainer to do it because I loved the comic book as a kid and I knew if I didn't do the movie, then I would hate myself for it."

Affleck says he likes the challenge of playing someone who saves the world without all of his senses.

"He is blind in that he can't use his eyes, but he has this sonar sort of ability," Affleck says. "He sees in a 360-degree way, which is cool and a challenge. It's also hard.

"I actually have been wearing these contact lenses that make me blind. The problem is that I'm walking into tables and walls, which he wouldn't do because he's a superhero. So we are working it all out right now."

Affleck also is practicing acrobatic moves for the role.

"The great thing about this role is that it motivated me to get in shape. You have to go to the gym when you hear, 'The studio really wants it to be you doing the flips.' "

He quickly admits, "I promise, I'm not going to be one of those actors who will lie to you and be like, 'Yeah, I did all of that. I did everything in the movie. That's me.'

"Anybody who tells you that they did their own stunts or their own fighting or their own acrobatics is [lying]. But you want to do as much as you can, so that it looks real and right.

"So, they kind of indulge me by letting me do a couple of things. Then they say, 'Let's bring in the world-class gymnast. We know you worked really hard for five weeks. But we are going to bring in this guy.' I stand on the sidelines and go, 'Wow, he can really do those triple flips!' "

Affleck stars as the new Jack Ryan in "The Sum of All Fears," opening May 31. "Daredevil" is due out in summer 2003.