Ben Affleck: 'Oh S***, We Have a Problem' - The Moment He Knew He Was Done as Batman

Ben Affleck, renowned for his portrayal of Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, has candidly discussed his challenging tenure as the Caped Crusader within the DC universe. In a recent GQ interview, Affleck reflected on his nearly decade-long stint in the so-called Snyder-verse, describing it as an "excruciating experience." He attributed his disillusionment not solely to the demands of superhero cinema but to a broader disenchantment with the genre itself.

"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck revealed. "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 touched on these sentiments, but this time, he delved deeper into the source of his dissatisfaction. He pointed to a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations" as a significant factor, while also acknowledging his own contribution to the challenges. "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 confessed that his daily contribution to the set was lackluster, stating, "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 Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman alongside Henry Cavill. His involvement extended to various projects, including multiple appearances in team-up films like the original Justice League (2017) and its 2021 Snyder Cut, as well as The Flash. He also made a brief appearance in Suicide Squad (2016). However, his solo Batman project was ultimately canceled, with rumors suggesting it might have explored themes around Arkham Asylum and potentially featured Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke.

The 10 Best DCEU Movie Heroes

11 Images

Affleck credited his longtime collaborator Matt Damon for aiding his decision to step away from the role, but he also mentioned his son's reaction to Batman v. Superman as a pivotal moment. "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."

As DC charts a new course, separating its darker and more lighthearted narratives, fans can anticipate the continuation of the former with The Batman 2 in 2027, while the latter will be spearheaded by James Gunn’s DCU, starting with Superman in July. As for Affleck, he has made it clear that he has no plans to return to DC to direct in Gunn's envisioned universe.