Ben Affleck has made it clear that his time in superhero movies is not something he wants to repeat. In a recent interview with GQ, the actor and director spoke candidly about his experience playing Batman, a role that was not only marked by creative differences but also by significant personal baggage. According to Affleck, that period was extremely challenging and, although not necessarily for the reasons many might imagine, he made it clear that he has no intentions of returning to the genre.
The actor, who debuted as the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and later appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2017 and 2021), revealed that it was for him an “unbearable experience.” Despite the great opportunity of playing one of the most iconic superheroes, Affleck admitted that he no longer feels the same passion for the genre.
Affleck’s bad experience with Batman
In the interview with GQ, Ben shared that there were several reasons why his experience playing Batman was so negative. “There are several reasons why it was a really atrocious experience,” the actor expressed. However, he clarified that not everything was due to working on a superhero movie. “I’m not interested in returning to that genre, not because of that bad experience, but simply because I have lost interest in what attracted me to it in the first place,” he explained.
Affleck also acknowledged that during that time he was not going through his best emotional moment, which further affected his experience on set. “Part of my bad experience was due to what I was bringing to the set every day. I wasn’t bringing a lot of positive energy to the equation,” he said. The actor explained that, although he didn’t cause any issues, his focus was simply to do his job and go back home, without emotionally engaging in the creative process.
Affleck’s personal struggle during filming
Despite enjoying some aspects of his Batman, such as the idea of portraying an “older, broken, and damaged” Bruce Wayne, Affleck acknowledged that the dark and mature tone of the films may have alienated part of the audience. “What happened was that it started to become too adult for a large part of the audience,” he commented, even mentioning that his own son was scared by the movie. “And when I realized that, I said, ‘Oh, damn, we have a problem,‘” he added.
The actor also reflected on how this creative approach generated tensions within Warner Bros., with a director who wanted to maintain that tone and a studio trying to attract a younger audience. “And when you have two parties wanting to do something completely different, it’s a recipe for disaster,” he said. In previous interviews, Affleck had already pointed out how playing Batman negatively affected his personal and professional life, recalling in March 2023 that it was “the worst experience” of his career.
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In The Batman, Affleck revealed that, although he was close to both starring and directing the film, a friend’s advice made him take a step back. “I showed the script to someone and they said, ‘I think the script is good, but I also think that if you do this, you’re going to drink yourself to death,‘” the actor recounted.