Ben Affleck Admits He Brought 'Unhappiness' to ‘Justice League’ Set and Opens Up About His Failings

Ben Affleck is talking candidly about the difficulties he encountered while playing Batman in the ‘Justice League’.  The 52-year-old actor recently talked about the 2017 superhero movie's production in an interview with GQ, describing it as a really challenging experience.

 Affleck said he no longer had any interest in playing a superhero, even if he acknowledged that not all of the difficulties were caused by the genre itself.  He clarified that the things that first drew him to superhero movies no longer excite him, and that the entire process was full of miscommunications, misplaced expectations, and competing objectives.  Additionally, he accepted responsibility for his own failures, acknowledging that he was having personal difficulties at the time and wasn't giving the project his all.

Affleck talked about being dissatisfied when he first arrived on set and just performing his duties without bringing much positive energy to the table.  He admitted that he might have done better and stated that, even if he didn't cause any issues, simply showing up and leaving for home wasn't enough.

Image Courtesy: People

 Affleck has already described working on ‘Justice League’ as the worst experience of his career, so this is not the first time he has talked about how difficult it was for him.  Delays, financial limitations, script revisions, and a significant change in directors were among the many obstacles the production itself had to overcome.  After a family tragedy, Joss Whedon took over for Zack Snyder, which resulted in extensive reshoots.

Whedon's actions have also caused hardship for a number of Affleck's co-stars.  WarnerMedia conducted an internal investigation and announced corrective measures after Ray Fisher accused Whedon of blatant misbehavior and unprofessional behavior, and Gal Gadot expressed horror at the manner he spoke to her on production.

Image Courtesy: People

 Affleck also pointed out that the film becomes too serious and gloomy for its younger target.  He revealed that he realized the movie had veered off course since even his own son was too scared to see it.  He noted that there was a significant creative struggle as a result of the filmmaker and the studio having different perspectives, one attempting to appeal to younger audiences and the other striving for a darker tone.

Affleck claimed to have relished some aspects of his time in the DC Universe in spite of the difficulties.  He reminisced about his time on ‘Suicide Squad’ with Viola Davis, his brief role in ‘The Flash’, and his work on Batman v. Superman.  His portrayal of an older, scarred, and broken Bruce Wayne was a character development he and the filmmakers thoroughly embraced in his first appearance as Batman, and he was creatively proud of it.

–Farheen Ali