During a lengthy interview with THR, Ben Affleck returned to his DC experiences and stated that he would not be making films for James Gunn’s studio.
Last December, Ben Affleck and James Gunn discussed the future of Batman together. If nothing had been leaked regarding Ben Affleck’s return in The Dark Knight in future films, the actor-director was interested in making a DC movie, according to the head of DC Studios.
“We met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct a DC movie and we want him to do that; we just have to find the right project.”
But in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ben Affleck insisted he didn’t want to direct a DC movie. The Oscar-winning director for Argo in 2013 says:
I achieve nothing for the DC of [James] Gunn. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. He’s a nice guy, I’m sure he’ll do a good job. I just don’t want to have to step in and lead like they do. I don’t care.
The actor then discusses his experience watching Zach Snyder’s film Justice League, explaining that despite the film’s good rating on IMDB (it’s his highest-rated film), the feature film is “the worst experience” of his life.
“Justice League is the highest rated film of my career. In retrospect, it’s a hit. Suddenly I was being commended for the bombshell I was in.
I wanted to direct a Batman and Justice League made me say, “I’m resigning. I never want to do that again. I’m not cut out for this.” It’s the worst experience I’ve ever had in a job that’s full of shitty experiences. It broke my heart (…) It was hard.
And I started drinking too much. I was back in the hotel in London and I said to myself, “This is not the life I want. My children are not here. I am unhappy.”
Warner Bros. Ben Affleck
You want to go to work and find something interesting to hold on to instead of wearing a rubber suit. I’m not patronizing at all, but I got to a point where I wasn’t finding it creatively satisfying.
You’re also sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, “There’s no way I want to do this. And I don’t want to ruin my life any more.”
One Last 5 Minute Appearance in “The Flash”
The Flash is therefore likely to be Ben Affleck’s last appearance in the Batman costume and his last foray into the DC Universe. The actor also claims to have only one cameo appearance in the film, carried by Ezra Miller:
“These stories became a bit repetitive and less interesting for me. I finally figured out how to play Batman and I was successful in The Flash. For the five minutes that I’m there, it’s really great.”
Announced for June 14th in our theaters, The Flash is one of the last films set in the old DC Universe ahead of the launch of the new iteration of the DCU, borne by James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Warner Bros. Justice League
A lack of creative freedom
Ben Affleck is currently promoting Air, his new acquisition. The feature film, carried by Affleck, his friend Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans and Viola Davis, looks back at the making of Nike’s Air Jordan shoes and will be available on Prime Video from April 5th.
Air is the first production from Artists Equity, the company founded by Affleck and Damon to finance film projects with an emphasis on quality and without compromising the filmmaker’s creative control. A freedom that DC Studios cannot guarantee the directors of their works…