Ben Affleck opens up about why he stopped playing Batman

Since Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale wrapped their Dark Knight trilogy back in 2012, Hollywood has had a tricky time getting a new Batman off the ground. Ben Affleck played the superhero in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League. But he later walked away from the role, leaving it be filled by Robert Pattinson, who will play the character in The Batman when it releases next year.

And remember: Affleck wasn’t just going to star in The Batman; he was also going to direct it. Early last year, he went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and said that it came down to him not being able to find a way into the story. “I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just couldn’t come up with a version — couldn’t crack it. And so, I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it, they got some really good people, so I’m excited.”

But now, in a New York Times profile, it sounds more like Affleck walked away because he didn’t think he could get through the process, especially after the troubled Justice League shoot had “sapped his interest” in the project. “I showed somebody ‘The Batman’ script,” Affleck recalled. “They said, ‘I think the script is good. I also think you’ll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went through again.’”

That’s pretty dark, and indeed, Affleck is very forthright in the new interview about his struggles with substance abuse, which included stints in rehab in 2017 and 2018. After that, maybe some time away from the superhero movie machine was a good idea.

The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, comes out in theaters on June 25, 2021. As for Affleck, you can see him next in The Way Back, a small-scale drama where he plays a high school basketball coach struggling with alcoholism.

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h/t SyFy Wire