There have been many discussions surrounding Ben Affleck‘s final run as the iconic Caped Crusader. A recent rumor has been hinting that even his return in The Flash means he’ll truly leave the role behind. The actor has openly discussed that the role and franchise commitment has pushed him down a deep end, especially when he passed on directing a Batman-focused film. In an interview with LA Times, he opens up on why he decided to move on from the project.
Directing “Batman” is a good example. I looked at it and thought, “I’m not going to be happy doing this. The person who does this should love it.” You’re supposed to always want these things, and I probably would have loved doing it at 32 or something. But it was the point where I started to realize it’s not worth it. It’s just a wonderful benefit of reorienting and recalibrating your priorities that once it started being more about the experience, I felt more at ease.
Ben Affleck
In the same interview, he also opened up on how Justice League was the boiling point for the actor, especially with the weight of the production felt after the tragedy when Zack Snyder lost his daughter. It’s not the quality of the film but the experience that pushed him away.
It was really “Justice League” that was the nadir for me. That was a bad experience because of a confluence of things: my own life, my divorce, being away too much, the competing agendas and then [director] Zack [Snyder]’s personal tragedy and the reshooting. It just was the worst experience. It was awful. It was everything that I didn’t like about this. That became the moment where I said, “I’m not doing this anymore.” It’s not even about, like, “Justice League” was so bad. Because it could have been anything.
Ben Affleck
Even with his short run as Batman, Affleck made the role his own and the lesson he learned is something valuable we all can take away. There’s something about tackling a project that you are passionate about that truly redefines your approach. If he forced himself to make a Batman film he had no connection with, it may not only add more pressure to the director and actor but also become apparent in his work. It’ll be exciting to see what other passion projects he chases in the future.
Source: LA Times
