Ben Affleck Says ‘I’ve Lost Interest’ in Superhero Movies and Batman Skewed So Old That ‘My Son Was Too Scared to Watch’: ‘Oh S—. We Have a Problem’

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Ben Affleck recently spoke with GQ magazine for a new feature, discussing his less-than-satisfactory tenure as Batman within Zack Snyder’s DC Universe. In 2016, he first appeared as the Caped Crusader in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and went on to play the superhero in subsequent films like “Justice League” and “The Flash.” Affleck previously told The Los Angeles Times that his time as Batman was a “dreadful” and “miserable” experience, and he’s now revealing more about why.

Affleck admitted to GQ that the experience was extremely difficult for a variety of reasons. It wasn’t just due to being part of a superhero movie or any genre-related issues. He has lost enthusiasm for that type of project, not because of the bad experience, but simply because he no longer finds it appealing. However, he would not want to repeat such an unpleasant situation. The main problems were miscommunications and mismatched expectations. Furthermore, at that time, he wasn’t contributing much to the project either. He acknowledged his own shortcomings during that phase in his career.

He went on to say, “Indeed, my shortcomings as an actor can be seen across different films for you to evaluate. Yet, there’s more to the story about the challenging times I faced. A significant factor was that I carried a great deal of unhappiness with me each day to work. This lacked the necessary positive vibe that a collaborative environment needs. I didn’t create problems, but I simply did my job and left. However, just showing up and doing your job isn’t enough; one must strive for more.

Currently, Affleck manages the production company Artists Equity, and he mentioned that part of his motivation for doing so is to prevent similar situations to what occurred during his Batman tenure. He elaborated: “I aim to establish collaborations with filmmakers, cast, and a studio infrastructure that is in harmony, thus eliminating such misalignments and ensuring a more enjoyable work environment.

Initially, the performer delivered commendable performances during filming, appreciating the creative portrayal of Batman as an “older, somewhat damaged” Bruce Wayne with a hint of brokenness. However, tensions arose due to concerns about his Dark Knight character and the broader DC Universe being overly mature for some audiences.

Affleck stated that the movie was becoming too mature for a large portion of the viewers. In fact, his own son found it too frightening to watch. When he realized this, Affleck exclaimed, ‘Oh dear, we have an issue.’ It seems that the director and the studio had conflicting goals: the director wanted to persist with the mature theme, while the studio aimed to attract a younger audience. This situation, where two parties want to pursue different paths, is a recipe for disaster.

Head over to GQ magazine’s website to read Affleck’s latest cover story in its entirety.

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2025-03-25 17:16