Ben Affleck on Politics of ‘Batman V Superman’: ‘What Happens When We Become Afraid of One Another?’

While admitting that it’s not an “overtly political” movie, Ben Affleck, who plays billionaire Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, says the new superhero movie “does raise a question of, ‘What happens to us when we become afraid of one another?'”

“(The screenwriters) had many conversations about politics and the nature of politics in movies,” Affleck said during the film’s New York City premiere. “This is a movie that has a substance to it. And is provocative. I don’t think it’s strident, I don’t think it’s preachy.”

Indeed Batman V Superman does feature a powerful U.S. senator played by Holly Hunter, who holds hearings concerning the costly and deadly ramifications of Superman’s (Henry Cavill) heroism.

“One of the things that I say in this movie is, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely,'” Hunter said. “Thomas Jefferson was talking about. We’re talking about that today, very much so. It’s serendipitous that it happens to be so acute right now in current events, but there you have it.”

This movie “doesn’t mean to lecture at you or to hector you,” Affleck said. “But I do think that it’s a ballsy movie and evocative, and a movie that isn’t just about two cartoon characters slugging it out.”

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in theaters everywhere March 26.

Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson.