Ben Affleck: 'I Knew I Was Done Playing Batman When I Realized, Oh S*, We Have a Problem'

Ben Affleck, renowned for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, has candidly shared the challenges he faced while portraying the iconic Caped Crusader for DC. In a recent interview with GQ, Affleck reflected on his nearly decade-long journey as a central figure in the so-called Snyder-verse, describing it as an "excruciating" experience. He attributed his dissatisfaction to a complex interplay of factors, including a misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations with DC, which ultimately led to his waning interest in the superhero genre.

"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck stated. "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 struggles with the role, but in this latest interview, he delved deeper into the sources of his discontent. He admitted that the issues were not solely external, 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 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 explained. He admitted to not bringing enough positive energy to the set, simply doing his job and leaving without adding more to the equation.

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 cameos and even a planned standalone Batman project, which was ultimately canceled. His portrayal of Batman extended to various team-up projects, including the original Justice League in 2017, the 2021 Snyder Cut, and The Flash, as well as a brief appearance in Suicide Squad in 2016.

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Regarding the canceled Batman film, while the exact plot remains a mystery, rumors suggest it would have explored the lore of Arkham Asylum and potentially included Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke. Affleck has previously credited longtime collaborator Matt Damon for helping him decide to step away from the role, but in his recent GQ interview, he revealed that his own son's reaction to Batman v. Superman also played a significant role in his decision.

"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 continues to evolve, it is now separating its storytelling into grittier and more lighthearted paths. The darker narrative will persist with The Batman 2 slated for 2027, while the lighter tone will be further developed in James Gunn’s DCU, starting with Superman this July. However, fans should not anticipate seeing Affleck return to DC to direct a film in Gunn's new universe.