“What if?” is a question that superhero fans often finds themselves asking, i.e. envisioning scenarios that unfolded differently from what happened in the established canon. Hell, Marvel Comics has published multiple comic book series titled with that very question, and there’s even an MCU-centric animated series of the same name, while DC has explored this concept through various Elseworlds stories. But “What if?” can also be applied in real life, like what if Robert Downey Jr. had played Batman and Ben Affleck played Iron Man? Some AI artwork has depicted these alternative castings, and honestly, one looks better than the other.
The past several weeks has delivered some intriguing AI art experiments, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as various Disney princesses, and Snape and other Harry Potter characters getting different, happier endings. In this latest round from the_ai_dreams on Instagram, we have many Marvel and DC actors switching roles with one another, but let’s focus first on Downey and Affleck with their respective Batman and Iron Man looks.
I doubt I’m alone in thinking that Ben Affleck as Iron Man is a much better fit than Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man going off the above images. Maybe it’s just that I like Batman to be clean-shaven, but Downey just isn’t giving off that Dark Knight vibe to me. In contrast, Affleck is rocking that Van Dyke beard quite nicely. To be clear, I don’t think Affleck would outdo Downey performing Tony Stark, but this artwork has me at least curious about what he would do the role.
As for the other superhero roles swaps, look them over below, then cycle through each image to see which looks the best for each scenario.
- Chris Evans as Superman, Henry Cavill as Captain America
- Scarlett Johansson as Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot as Black Widow
- Tom Holland as The Flash, Ezra Miller as Spider-Man
- Chris Pratt as Green Lantern, Ryan Reynolds as Star-Lord
- Paul Rudd as Captain Marvel/Shazam, Zachary Levi as Ant-Man
- Brie Larson as Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie as Captain Marvel
- Dave Bautista as Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson as Drax the Destroyer
- Samuel L. Jackson as Cyborg, Ray Fisher as Nick Fury
- Chris Hemsworth as Aquaman, Jason Momoa as Thor
As far as Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Affleck are concerned, both appear to have put their superhero days behind them. Downey last appeared as Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, where the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist sacrificed his life to stop Thanos from destroying reality. Although the MCU is now in the middle of its Multiverse Saga, there’s been no talk about Downey potentially appearing in an upcoming Marvel movie as an Iron Man from another universe.
Meanwhile, Affleck, who first contributed to the superhero genre by playing Daredevil, wrapped up his time as Batman earlier this year in The Flash. Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen teamed up with his version of the Caped Crusader at the beginning of the movie, then found himself in an alternate reality where Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne was fighting crime in the cape and cowl. By the end of The Flash, Barry made it back to his reality, but Affleck’s Bruce had been replaced with George Clooney’s. However, don’t expect to see Clooney suit back up all these years after Batman & Robin, as the new DC Universe continuity will feature a different actor playing Batman in The Brave and the Bold.
If you’re interested in revisiting Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Affleck’s respective work as Iron Man and Batman, the former can be watched with a Disney+ subscription and the latter with a Max subscription. Otherwise, look through our upcoming DC movies and upcoming Marvel movies guides to learn what both franchises have lined up for the years ahead.