Batman v Superman star Ben Affleck has promised his portrayal of the Caped Crusader will be a “curveball” for fans.

The casting of Affleck as the new Batman was met with some scepticism from devotees but the actor said he feels under far less pressure now that filming is finished.

Speaking on the red carpet at the premiere of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, he said: “Before we started all I could think of was Christian Bale and Chris Nolan and George Clooney and Tim Burton and Michael Keaton and Bob Crane and Frank Miller, and all these people who worked on these characters and made them great before.”

He added: “I’m standing on the shoulders of all these great cast members and I’m really proud of the movie. We did something different with Batman that I really like, it was a take I really wanted to do.

“It will be a little curveball for the fans so I’m really hoping that they enjoy it because that is ultimately who it is for.”

Moreover, Affleck, 43, said there was an obstacle greater than fan scepticism: “The most challenging part was physical; audiences expect these actors to invest themselves physically in roles now.”

I’m standing on the shoulders of all these great cast members and I’m really proud of the movie. We did something different with Batman

British actor Henry Cavill resumes his dual role of Clark Kent and Superman in the film, following on from Man of Steel in 2013.

He said: “When I heard Batman was going to be in this movie – it’s essentially a Batman introduction movie – it means we are opening up the DC cinematic universe and in that are 1,001 rich stories so I’m very happy about that.”

Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg joins the cast as villain Lex Luthor but defended the evil millionaire on the red carpet, saying: “The character is the hero of his own story, in a way he is trying to save humanity. He thinks Superman is a threat and it’s his responsibility to stand up for the world.”