--- title: Ben Affleck Defends 'Batman v. Superman' to Critics and Fans description: The 'Accountant' actor shared his thoughts about the tepid critical response to the blockbuster 'Batman v. Superman' in a new interview. canonical: https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-03T15:15:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:37:14.152Z og:title: Ben Affleck Actually Loved 'Batman v. Superman' After All og:description: The superhero movie was a blockbuster hit with tepid critical reactions. og:url: https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ben Affleck Actually Loved 'Batman v. Superman' After All twitter:description: The superhero movie was a blockbuster hit with tepid critical reactions. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Watch Ben Affleck Defend _Batman v. Superman_ Despite the Haters > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4d4904ba-8661-480d-b87e-b6efbb10bced&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4d4904ba-8661-480d-b87e-b6efbb10bced&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=4d4904ba-8661-480d-b87e-b6efbb10bced&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4d4904ba-8661-480d-b87e-b6efbb10bced&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Oct 3, 2016 3:15 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Oct 3, 2016 3:15 PM UTC The blockbuster superhero movie _Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice_ [may have been critically lampooned](http://time.com/4271943/sad-ben-affleck-batman-v-superman-reviews/?iid=sr-link4), but Ben Affleck still believes in the outsized flick co-starring Henry Cavill’s Superman, explaining to an entertainment reporter that he “loved” the film. “So many more people went to see that than any movie I’ve ever made in my career. It’s my biggest hit of my career,” he mused while making the publicity rounds for the upcoming financial thriller [_The Accountant_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBfsgcswlYQ)_._ (_Batman v. Superman_ brought in [over $870 million](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=superman2015.htm) all told, with a [hefty opening weekend](http://time.com/money/4272484/batman-v-superman-box-office-opening/) in March.) “Fans liked it,” the reporter offered. “Fans went,” Affleck quickly corrected him. “It was judged not necessarily on execution so much as tone. People seemed to want a lighter tone to the movie. Tone isn’t like a qualitative thing; it’s subjective.” “Did you like it?” “Yeah, yeah. I loved it,” he insisted. That’s good, as Affleck is [set to continue his involvement](http://time.com/4470963/ben-affleck-deathstroke-batman/?iid=sr-link1) with the DC superhero franchise for quite a while, with an as-of-yet-untitled [standalone Batman](http://time.com/4291678/ben-affleck-batman-2/?iid=sr-link3) movie in the works and two more _Justice League_ installments coming down the pipeline. Watch above. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/"},"headline":"Watch Ben Affleck Defend Batman v. Superman Despite the Haters","datePublished":"2016-10-03T15:15:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:37:14.152Z","description":"\"It's my biggest hit of my career.\"","url":"https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Entertainment","movies","celebrities"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4516485/ben-affleck-defends-batman-v-superman/","name":"Watch Ben Affleck Defend Batman v. Superman Despite the Haters"}}]}] ```