An explosion of criticism has accompanied news that Ben Affleck will play Batman in an upcoming "Superman" sequel. The casting of the "Argo" star and director is not the first time fans have cried foul over such a decision. Here's a list of other casting decisions that sparked some scorn in the fan world:

5. Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher

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Tom Cruise in "Mission Impossible" as Ethan Hunt? Sure. Tom Cruise as ex-military investigator Jack Reacher? Well, Reacher fans said NOOOOO! A Facebook page was created to voice their outrage over the 2012 movie. Many fans of the Lee Child books cited the height difference, insisting that Cruise was too short to play the role. In the books, Reacher is 6-foot-5 while Cruise comes in at 5-foot-6 in real life.

4. Daniel Craig as James Bond

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The announcement of Daniel Craig as the newest James Bond in 2006's "Casino Royale" gave birth to anti-Craig websites such as Craignotbond.com and danielcraigisnotbond.com. British actor Edward Fox knew author Ian Fleming, creator of the James Bond character, and blasted casting directors for their choice. "So ugly! He is utterly wrong for Bond. The opposite of what Fleming intended," Fox said.

3. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

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Two years ago, fans were up in arms over the casting of Anne Hathaway in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," saying she couldn't pull off the role of Catwoman. In a Catwoman forum, one fan wrote, "I just can't get the image of her in Princess Diaries out of my head."

2. Michael Keaton as Batman

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When director Tim Burton announced to the world that Michael Keaton would star as Batman in his 1989 film, the reaction was not warm. Fans were so cold to the news that they sent more than 50,000 letters to Warner Bros. protesting the decision.

1. Heath Ledger as the Joker

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Many people were confused when it was announced that Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight," which was released in 2008.

One critic said, "I like Ledger, but I'm not sure if he can pull off the sinister Joker."

Avid fans will always have a reason for slamming a casting choice. In all movies, actors have the ability to either live up or live down fans' expectations.

Should we give actors such as Ben Affleck the benefit of the doubt? Well, that's up to the moviegoer to decide - after the movie is released.

Follow Leinz Vales on Twitter: @LeinzCNN.