Ben Affleck: 'Oh S***, We Have a Problem' - The Moment He Knew He Was Done as Batman

In a candid interview with GQ, Ben Affleck, renowned for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, opened up about his challenging experience portraying the Caped Crusader in the DC universe. Reflecting on nearly a decade of donning the iconic cape, Affleck described his journey as a "really excruciating experience," largely due to the complex dynamics and differing expectations within the DC team.

"There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck explained. He clarified that his dissatisfaction wasn't solely due to the nature of superhero films but rather a culmination of various factors that led to his disinterest in the genre. "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, but this time he shed more light on the reasons behind his negative experience. He attributed it to a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations," while also acknowledging his own contributions to the difficulties. "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 noted that while he didn't cause issues on set, his lack of enthusiasm didn't help the situation either. "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 forces with Henry Cavill in Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman. This led to numerous appearances, including roles in both the original and the much-talked-about Snyder Cut of Justice League, as well as a cameo in Suicide Squad. However, his planned standalone Batman film was ultimately canceled. While details on what the film might have entailed remain scarce, rumors suggested it could have delved into the lore of Arkham Asylum and possibly featured Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke.

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Affleck credited longtime collaborator Matt Damon for helping him decide to step away from the role, but he also revealed that his son's reaction to Batman v. Superman 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 carving out distinct paths for its grittier and more lighthearted narratives. The darker tone will continue with The Batman 2, slated for 2027, while a more upbeat approach will be introduced with James Gunn’s DCU, starting with Superman this July. Meanwhile, Affleck has made it clear that he won't be returning to direct a film in Gunn's new DC universe.