In a candid interview with GQ, Ben Affleck, renowned for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, delved into the challenges he faced while embodying the Caped Crusader for DC. Reflecting on nearly a decade of portraying the iconic character, Affleck described his tenure in the Snyder-verse as "a really excruciating experience." He attributed his dissatisfaction to a complex interplay of factors beyond the typical superhero movie dynamics, leading him to lose interest in the genre altogether.
"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck admitted. "And they don’t all have to do with the simple dynamic of, say, being in a superhero movie or whatever. I am not interested in going down that particular genre again, not because of that bad experience, but just: I’ve lost interest in what was of interest about it to me. But I certainly wouldn’t want to replicate an experience like that."
Affleck elaborated on the root of his struggles, citing a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations" within the DC universe. He acknowledged his own shortcomings, admitting that he "wasn’t bringing anything particularly wonderful to that equation at the time, either."
"I mean, my failings as an actor, you can watch the various movies and judge. But more of my failings of, in terms of why I had a bad experience, part of it is that what I was bringing to work every day was a lot of unhappiness," he confessed. "So I wasn’t bringing a lot of positive energy to the equation. I didn’t cause problems, but I came in and I did my job and I went home. But you’ve got to do a little bit better than that."
Affleck's journey with DC began when he joined forces with Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman. His involvement extended to various projects, including cameos and the now-canceled standalone Batman film. Fans will recall his appearances in Justice League (both the 2017 version and the 2021 Snyder Cut), The Flash, and a brief role in Suicide Squad.
The 10 Best DCEU Movie Heroes
11 Images
While details about the abandoned Batman film remain scarce, rumors suggest it would have spanned 80 years of the Dark Knight's history, possibly delving into Arkham Asylum and featuring Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke.
Affleck credited longtime collaborator Matt Damon for helping him decide to retire from the role, but he also revealed that his son played a significant role in his decision to step away. "But what happened was it started to skew too old for a big part of the audience. Like even my own son at the time was too scared to watch (Batman v. Superman). And so when I saw that I was like, 'Oh shit, we have a problem.'"
He further explained, "Then I think that’s when you had a filmmaker that wanted to continue down that road and a studio that wanted to recapture all the younger audience at cross purposes. Then you have two entities, two people really wanting to do something different and that is a really bad recipe."
As DC navigates its future, it is carving out distinct paths for its grittier and more lighthearted narratives. The darker tone will continue with The Batman 2 slated for 2027, while the lighter side will be explored under James Gunn’s DCU, kicking off with Superman this July. As for Affleck, he has firmly closed the door on returning to DC to direct a film in Gunn's new universe.
