Ben Affleck on Realizing He Was Done with Batman: 'Oh S***, We Have a Problem'

Ben Affleck, known for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, has shared his candid thoughts on his challenging experience within the DC universe. In a recent interview with GQ, Affleck reflected on his nearly decade-long journey as the Caped Crusader, describing it as "excruciating." He highlighted a complex and strained relationship with DC, which has ultimately led him to lose interest in the superhero genre.

"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck explained. "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 has previously discussed his time with DC, but this interview sheds more light on the roots of his dissatisfaction. He attributed much of his frustration to a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations," though he also acknowledged his own contributions to the negative experience. "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 admitted. He felt he was not bringing the necessary positive energy to the set, merely doing his job without adding any extra value.

Affleck's journey with DC began when he joined forces with Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman. This was followed by numerous appearances, including in the original and Snyder Cut versions of Justice League, The Flash, and a cameo in Suicide Squad. However, his planned standalone Batman film, which was rumored to delve into the Dark Knight's 80-year history and possibly include Arkham Asylum and Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke, was ultimately canceled.

Affleck credited his longtime collaborator Matt Damon and his own son for helping him decide to step away from the role. He recounted a moment when his son was too scared to watch Batman v. Superman, which made him realize the film was skewing too old for a significant portion of its audience. "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,” he noted.

As DC continues to navigate its storytelling paths, separating its grittier narratives from more lighthearted ones, fans can look forward to The Batman 2 in 2027 and the launch of James Gunn's DCU with Superman this July. However, Affleck has made it clear that he has no plans to return to DC to direct a film in Gunn's new universe.

The 10 Best DCEU Movie Heroes

11 Images