Ben Affleck, renowned for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, recently shared insights into his challenging tenure as the Caped Crusader within the DC universe. In an in-depth interview with GQ, Affleck reflected on nearly a decade of portraying the iconic superhero, describing the experience as “excruciating.” He attributed this to a complex interplay of factors, including a strained relationship with DC, which ultimately diminished his interest in the superhero genre.

“There are a number of reasons why that was a really excruciating experience,” Affleck explained. “And they don’t all have to do with the simple dynamic of, say, being in a superhero movie or whatever. 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 with the role, but this time he delved deeper into the reasons behind his dissatisfaction. He cited a “misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations” as a significant issue, while also acknowledging his own contribution to the negative experience. “I mean, my failings as an actor, you can watch the various movies and judge. But more of my failings of, 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 emphasized the need for more positive energy, saying, “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 Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman alongside Henry Cavill. His subsequent involvement included numerous cameos and a planned standalone Batman film that never materialized. Fans will recall his appearances in Justice League (both the 2017 theatrical release and the 2021 Snyder Cut), The Flash, and even a brief role in Suicide Squad.

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Regarding the canceled Batman film, specifics remain scarce, but rumors suggest it might have explored Arkham Asylum and possibly involved Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke. Affleck credited his longtime collaborator Matt Damon for helping him decide to step away from the role, but in the GQ interview, he also highlighted the influence of his son. He recounted how his son's fear of watching Batman v. Superman made him realize the film's skewed age demographic. “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 charts a new course, separating its darker and lighter narratives, fans can anticipate the continuation of the grittier storyline with The Batman 2 in 2027. Meanwhile, James Gunn’s DCU is set to launch with Superman in July. However, Affleck has made it clear that he will not be returning to direct a film in Gunn’s new universe.