In a candid interview with GQ, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice star Ben Affleck delved into his challenging experience portraying the iconic Caped Crusader for DC. Reflecting on nearly a decade of embodying Batman, Affleck described his time within the Snyder-verse as "a really excruciating experience." He attributed this to a complex interplay of factors beyond just the superhero genre itself, leading to a waning interest in such roles.
"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 discussed this topic previously, but he now provides more insight into the source of his dissatisfaction. He pinpointed a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations" as a primary cause, while acknowledging 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, 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 further elaborated that his lack of positive energy affected his performance. "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 signed on to co-star in Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman alongside Henry Cavill. This role led to numerous appearances, including cameos and a canceled standalone project. His involvement extended to ensemble films such as Justice League (the 2017 original and the 2021 Snyder Cut), The Flash, and a brief role in Suicide Squad in 2016.
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The details of the canceled Batman movie remain shrouded in mystery, but rumors suggest it would have spanned 80 years of the Dark Knight's history, potentially delving into the world of Arkham Asylum and featuring Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke.
Affleck credited his decision to step away from the role to advice from longtime collaborator Matt Damon, as well as feedback from his own son. He noted that the film's darker tone was alienating younger audiences. "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.' 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."
DC is currently navigating a new path, dividing its narratives into grittier and more lighthearted branches. The darker tone will continue with The Batman 2, slated for 2027, while the lighter tone will be spearheaded by James Gunn's DCU, starting with Superman this July. As for Affleck, he has made it clear that he will not be returning to direct a film within Gunn's new universe.
