Ben Affleck has had a barrage of criticism levied at him since it was announced that he will play Batman in the forthcoming Man of Steel sequel. And it sounds like the man himself doubted director Zack Snyder's choice too.

The 41-year-old has previously gushed about how excited he is to star opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in Syder's DC Comics team-up, but with many criticising the unusual casting when Ben was announced earlier this year, the actor has now revealed he didn't see it working at first either.

"Initially I was reluctant as I felt I didn't fit the traditional mold," Ben reveals. "But once Zack showed me the concept, and that it would be both different from the great movies that Chris [Nolan] and Christian [Bale] made but still in keeping with tradition I was excited."

"Doing something different and new is always tricky and part of the thrill and the risk is that initially it confounds expectations," he continued to 411 Mania, before adding: "The truth is, it's the movie and the execution of it is what all the actors depend on and I believe in Zack's vision."

Prepping for Batman: Ben looked noticeably beefier while out with his daughter this week (WENN)

With Ben now on board Zack is full of praise for his leading man, previously saying of his Batman: "[He] has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can't wait to work with him."

Shooting for the project, tentatively titled Batman Vs Superman, is already underway with Snyder taking over a football stadium last Friday to shoot the first scenes for his movie.

Snyder shot scenes at a US college football game in Los Angeles for what is believed to be the opening sequence of his 2015 sequel. According to the Latino Review, the film-maker was snapped at a game between East Los Angeles College and Victor Valley college at Weingart Stadium, where he rolled cameras during halftime. 

Zack Snyder has started work on Batman Vs Superman (WENN)

There was no sign of stars Ben or Henry on set but it sounded like an exciting day for the crowd who were told by a rep from Warner Bros that they would be in Batman v Superman, appearing to confirm that was the working title for the film.

The match apparently stood in for a game between fictional rivals Gotham City University and Metropolis State University with the teams filmed on the field while another scene saw a fight being broken up during the game.

Whilst Ben hasn't been spotted on set yet, the actor has been seen sporting a noticeably buffed-up body while making errands in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Argo actor's ripped physique was unmissable as was spotted out in Brentwood County collecting his eldest daughter Violet from school.

Wearing a fitted white top, the actor's muscly shoulders and washboard stomach were clear to see, indicating that Ben has been working hard on making his beefy transformation into Batman.

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