Ben Affleck Talks 'Batman' During Senate Hearing (And Yes There's a Spoiler)

The testified on his Eastern Congo Initiative before Congress.

ByABC News
March 26, 2015, 5:22 PM
Ben Affleck testifies before a Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on "Diplomacy, Development, and National Security" on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 26, 2015.
Ben Affleck testifies before a Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on "Diplomacy, Development, and National Security" on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 26, 2015.
Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images

— -- Actor Ben Affleck gave away a closely held secret about the upcoming "Batman" film while testifying on Capitol Hill this morning.

“To Senator Leahy, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my co-star in Batman. The role is marginally smaller than mine but I understand you're quite good,” Affleck said to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on diplomacy and development.

Spoiler alert! Before Affleck's comment today it was not confirmed that Leahy would make a cameo in the upcoming "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Leahy, for his part, has been coy about whether he'll appear in the latest caped crusader movie, but Affleck spilled the beans.

Leahy has appeared in four Batman movies, most famously standing up to Heath Ledger’s Joker character in “The Dark Knight.”

Affleck testified alongside Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who Affleck described as the “greatest and most important philanthropist in the history of the world.” Another panelist, Scott Ford, CEO of the Westrock Group LLC, lauded the efforts of “Batman” in Congo.

“We had the United States ask us would you go to Congo and I said not without Batman,” Ford joked. “And when batman showed up, we went to Eastern Congo.”

At least one lawmaker -- Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut -- was so star struck by Batman that he snapped a photo of Affleck in the middle of the hearing.