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 shared his challenging experience with the role during a recent GQ interview. Reflecting on his decade-long tenure as the iconic Caped Crusader within the so-called Snyder-verse, Affleck described it as "a really excruciating experience." This sentiment stems from a complex dynamic with DC, leading him to lose interest in the superhero genre entirely.

"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck explained. "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 this interview sheds light on the root causes of his dissatisfaction. He attributes much of it to a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations," acknowledging his own contribution to the issue. "I mean, my failings as an actor, you can watch the various movies and judge. But more of my failings 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 further elaborated, "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. This led to numerous cameo appearances and even a planned standalone Batman project that was ultimately canceled. Fans will recall his roles in team-up films like Justice League (both the 2017 original and the 2021 Snyder Cut) and The Flash, as well as a brief appearance in Suicide Squad.

The 10 Best DCEU Movie Heroes

11 Images

Details about the canceled Batman film remain scarce, but rumors suggest it might have explored the Dark Knight's 80-year history, potentially delving into the notorious Arkham Asylum and featuring Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke.

Affleck credits longtime collaborator Matt Damon for helping him decide to step away from the role, but he also revealed in the GQ interview that his own son 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 moves forward, it is bifurcating its storytelling into grittier and more lighthearted paths. The darker tone will continue with The Batman 2 slated for 2027, while the lighter side will be spearheaded by James Gunn’s DCU, starting with Superman this July. However, fans should not anticipate Affleck returning to DC to direct a film in Gunn’s new universe.