Ben Affleck Slams WB For Replacing Zack Snyder on Justice League: “As Gross As It Gets”
The Justice League movie infamously had production stopped when director Zack Snyder’s daughter died by suicide. Amid additional pressure from the studio to make the movie funnier and more like Marvel, the filmmaker stepped away and was replaced with Avengers‘ Joss Whedon. In a recent interview, one of the film’s stars, Ben Affleck, called the subsequent reshoots the low point of his career.
In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Variety), Affleck has once again slammed Warner Bros. over Whedon’s hiring, claiming they used Snyder’s family tragedy as an excuse to get rid of him. “Somebody’s death by suicide eclipses everything,” Affleck said. “The way in which that was, I thought, used as an excuse was one of the shittiest things I’ve ever seen. It was so gross. The whole environment and vibe, much of which I was not privy to but heard secondhand from the actors, it was just, ‘Wow, this is about as gross as it gets.’”
Ben Affleck Claims Warner Bros. Used Tragedy as an Excuse to Switch Directors
Affleck cops to his own drinking and divorce, making everything that much more miserable for him, but feels he didn’t let it affect his performance. Snyder’s director’s cut of the movie, at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, suggests critics agree with that. “That was f***ing great,” said Affleck, about the ultimate release of the Snyder cut. “I was really happy for him.” It cemented his decision to walk away from directing a superhero movie. “I saw how not to make a movie like that, which is where the studio is at odds with the filmmaker. You are really making a mistake.”
Affleck holds the unique distinction of having played Batman the most times in theatrically released feature films, despite the fact that none of them are technically a Batman solo movie: the Man of Steel sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the villains movie Suicide Squad, the universe-rebooting The Flash, and the team-up movie Justice League — both cuts (Michael Keaton would be tied with his number if we could count the permanently shelved Batgirl). In truth, Affleck could possibly have had even more credits to his name; he was once set to direct and star in The Batman, but realized he would probably aggravate his drinking problem under the stress of it, after a self-described “worst experience” on Justice League.
Now history seems to be repeating itself, as The Batman Part II has been put on pause due to director Matt Reeves’ unspecified “personal reasons.” So far, DC Studios seems to be standing by Reeves and treating this as a hiatus rather than an opportunity to swap in somebody else. That hasn’t stopped fan speculation, with Affleck’s name tossed in the rumor mill as someone who could replace Reeves. Given his comments on the last time that happened, though, he sounds like he’s out, and Affleck is genuinely someone who’s straightforward with his feelings — he has never minced words about Armageddon, for example.
Affleck’s unhappiness during his Batman period may ultimately have given his Bruce Wayne the edge people liked. News of his casting in the role led to backlash from fans who perceived him as a lightweight actor, but his bitter, violent performance as Bruce Wayne was the most consistently praised element of Batman v Superman, even if some complained that he was too violent relative to standard canon. Over four films, he also got to have a genuine character arc, going from Frank Miller-ish Dark Knight to a broad-daylight crimefighter in a blue and gray suit for The Flash. He was effectively erased from prime continuity when Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen changed the past and made Bruce Wayne into George Clooney again. It sounds like Affleck the director is content to stay away…though as an actor, he doesn’t rule it out.
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