"Don't read the comments" has become something of an internet truism, advice typically given by friends and loved ones (and occasionally, blogs and Twitter accounts). But according to Affleck, it was advice he received from Warner Bros after he was cast as Batman – and unwisely ignored.

Ben Affleck thought that he could handle the internet's response to the news that he had been named the new Dark Knight. Ben Affleck was very, very wrong.

Appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, Affleck talked about what happened after he signed on to play the Caped Crusader in 2015's follow-up to Man of Steel. According to the actor, the studio warned him about the potential for internet backlash to his casting as the iconic superhero.

"They said, 'Listen, we want to talk to you. People go through this process and it can be trying. We want to show you some of the reactions that past people who've been cast have gotten on the internet.' So they send me [examples of] people who were in these movies who did a great job. These [comments] were like, 'Kill him!' And he was amazing! You can’t say that before the movie comes out. It doesn’t matter what people think then; it matters what you think when you see the movie, obviously."

Warner Bros staff went a step further, advising Affleck to unplug around the time of his announcement. "They said, 'Just don't use the internet for a few days,' but I handle shit," Affleck said, adding that his mindset at the time was that "I can handle any snub. I can handle anything." Or so he thought. When the online backlash against his casting began, Affleck unwisely decided to scroll down on an article announcing the news to the comment section. "I looked at the first comment and it says 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' And I was done! We’re going to be Luddites for a while."

Although Affleck hasn't completely unplugged – his Twitter account has been active since the casting announcement – it's more interesting that Warner Bros felt the need to warn even a veteran performer like Affleck to stay off the internet after he took on the role. Yes, he played a leading superhero before in 2003's Daredevil, but stepping into the shoes of the Caped Crusader is a whole other ballgame. Batman is one of the most well-known superheroes in the world – the most popular on YouTube, at least – an role that comes with far more intense fan expectations than Marvel's comparably cult-favorite blind attorney-turned-vigilante.

Also, the size of the superhero movie audience has grown exponentially in the decade-plus separating the two roles, as have online reactions to casting decisions and announcements. Add that vocal sense of fan entitlement to a decision as high-profile as the (re)casting of the Dark Knight for the character's first big-screen meeting with Superman in his 75-year history, and the advice to take a step back from the internet when you step into the Batman suit starts to look downright sensible – even for experienced actors who think they can "handle anything."