Affleck Jumps for Daredevil

October 4 -- Ben Affleck is taking over the lead in the Marvel Comics adaptation Daredevil, a role that was first offered to burly rising star Vin Diesel, who opted to do the sequel to Pitch Black instead. Let's hope no costume fittings had been done yet, considering the difference in the actors' stature

Affleck is expected to fetch a low eight-figure salary for his services. Daredevil, for those of you unfamiliar with the Marvel Comics series, is the crime-fighting alter ego of blind lawyer and martial artist Matt Murdock. After an accident with a radioactive isotope, he develops the radar-like sight that helps him bring villains to justice. When Affleck was erroneously mentioned a few years ago as the next Batman, and his then-girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow, was supposedly set to play Catwoman, Affleck denied the rumor, adding "Gwyneth is much more the [Marvel Comics' superhero] Elektra type."

Well, now's the Oscar-winning actress' chance to make the comic-book leap: Elektra, Daredevil's ex-girlfriend-turned assassin-for-hire, is also making her big-screen debut, as are other yet-to-be cast Daredevil nemeses, the Mob boss Kingpin and master marksman Bullseye.The film, which is budgeted at $50 million, is tentatively scheduled to shoot next year in Vancouver, with Mark Steven Johnson (Simon Birch) at the helm.

Affleck recently shot Surviving Christmas for Columbia and The Sum of All Fears for Paramount, in which he assumed the Jack Ryan mantle from Harrison Ford.

Reuters/Variety contributed to this story.