Ben Affleck has shot down rumours that he was set to direct a film for the new James Gunn and Peter Safran DC project by revealing that he “would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not.”
There was a palpable excitement back when Ben Affleck was originally set to write, direct and star in The Batman. He was slap-bang in the middle of his Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo directorial streak, and already in possession of the cape and cowl, so the idea of a solo-outing for Batfleck was a reality, and then Justice League happened.
Recent reports had linked the Academy Award winner with a return to the DC director’s chair, but during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, in which Affleck talked about his upcoming Air Jordan origin film AIR, he revealed that he wasn’t interested in working for DC.
“I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
His reluctance to return to the world of superheroes is understandable considering how he felt burned by his Justice League experience, on which he said “Justice League … You could teach a seminar on all the reasons why this is how not to do it. Ranging from production to bad decisions to horrible personal tragedy, and just ending with the most monstrous taste in my mouth.”
Affleck went on to add that “[Justice League] made me go, “I’m out. I never want to do any of this again. I’m not suited. That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart. There was an idea of someone [Joss Whedon] coming in, like, “I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret.” And it wasn’t the secret. That was hard. And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London, it was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, “This isn’t the life I want. My kids aren’t here. I’m miserable.”
“You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it you’re just standing against the computer screen going, “If this nuclear waste gets loose, we’ll …” That’s fine. I don’t condescend to that or put it down, but I got to a point where I found it creatively not satisfying. Also just, you’re sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, “I don’t want to participate in this in any way. And I don’t want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount.”
However, he was positive about his final appearance as Bruce Wayne in the forthcoming Flash movie, as well as the much-maligned Dawn of Justice, revealing “I did finally figure out how to play that character [Batman], and I nailed it in The Flash. For the five minutes I’m there, it’s really great. A lot of it’s just tone. You’ve got to figure out, what’s your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman. And by the way, I like a lot of the stuff we did, especially the first one [Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice].
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Shazam! Fury of the Gods here
You can read the full interview here, and let us know what you think of Affleck’s comments by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti (It) and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash alongside Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ben Affleck (Batman), Michael Keaton (Batman), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Antje Traue (Faora-Ul), and Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), and Maribel Verdu (Nora Allen).
The Flash is set for release on June 16th 2023.
