Ben Affleck had a wonderful time playing Bruce Wayne and Batman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but not so much in its sequel, Justice League.
Breaking down his career roles for GQ in a video posted Friday, Affleck explained why he essentially got burned out with the Caped Crusader.
“Justice League was unfortunately touched by some personal tragedy — a death in (director) Zack’s [Synder] family. And like I say, sometimes things sort of work and gel and sometimes you seem to be having one problem after another,” Affleck said.
Circling back, Affleck said he “really loved” Batman v Superman, but after Justice League, he was done.
“I had my fill of that,” he tells GQ. “They said, ‘Would you like to direct and star in a solo Batman movie?’ And I found that, at some point, I had lost my enthusiasm or passion for it. And I thought this should really be made by someone who for whom it’s their wildest dream come true. It was clear to me it was time to move on.”
Justice League was not received well by fans or critics and was considered a box office bomb, and for months Affleck’s continued involvement in Batman was in question, until he confirmed in January 2019 that he was indeed retiring the role.
Affleck currently stars in The Way Back.
The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson with Matt Reeves writing and directing, is due in theaters June 25, 2021.
Watch Affleck’s full career breakdown below.
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