After portraying both Daredevil and Batman, Ben Affleck has firmly ruled out a return to the superhero genre. The actor, who has been part of both the Marvel and DC universes, revealed in a recent interview that he has no plans to play another superhero or vigilante.
Reflecting on his time filming Justice League, Affleck described the experience as “excruciating” and admitted that his waning interest in the genre is a key reason for stepping away. In a candid conversation with GQ, he shared, “It’s not just because of that bad experience—it’s that I’ve lost interest in what initially intrigued me about it.” He further explained that the film’s troubled production, which started under Zack Snyder before being taken over by Joss Whedon, was plagued by “misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations,” making it even more difficult.
Affleck also acknowledged his own struggles during his time as Batman. “I wasn’t bringing anything particularly remarkable to the role at that time,” he admitted. “I had my own shortcomings—significant ones—during that process.”
The production of Justice League, featuring Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Henry Cavill as Superman, was infamous for behind-the-scenes chaos. Affleck confessed that he approached the role with a less-than-ideal mindset, saying, “I wasn’t bringing a lot of positive energy to the set. I wasn’t causing problems, but I was just showing up, doing my job, and going home. But in a project like that, you need to do more than just the bare minimum.”
In a 2022 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Affleck had previously referred to working on the film as “the worst experience”, citing constant directorial changes, production delays, and budget issues as major factors.
After years of acting in various projects, the Oscar-winning filmmaker is now shifting his focus back to directing. Looking ahead, Affleck expressed his passion for working behind the camera, hinting that his future endeavors will center more on directing rather than acting.