Ben Affleck, once the most high-profile actor to wear the cape and cowl as Batman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), has candidly admitted that his time as the Dark Knight was far from enjoyable. In a new interview with GQ, Affleck called the experience “excruciating,” citing misaligned visions and a personal loss of interest in superhero films.
Affleck, who starred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and made appearances in other DCEU titles, never got the chance to make his much-anticipated solo Batman film, which he was also set to direct. Reflecting on that period, he said, “There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience… a lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations.”
He admitted that he too bore responsibility, stating, “I wasn’t bringing anything particularly wonderful to that equation at the time, either. I had my own failings, significant failings, in that process and at that time.”
Affleck says the darker tone alienated younger audiences, including his son
The Oscar-winning actor shared that the darker, more mature tone of the DC films further distanced him from the genre. Notably, even his own son was unable to watch the films because of their intensity.
“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 the movie. And so when I saw that I was like, ‘Oh shit, we have a problem,’” Affleck said.
He explained how creative differences between the filmmakers and studio also made the process difficult. “Then you have two entities, two people really wanting to do something different and that is a really bad recipe,” he added.
From Batman to The Accountant 2
Affleck debuted as Batman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring alongside Henry Cavill. His stint also included appearances in Suicide Squad and Justice League. Plans for a solo Batman film under his direction never materialized, and the DCEU eventually folded in 2023.
The actor is now focused on other projects, with his upcoming film The Accountant 2 set for release next month.