As the creative lead for the DC Extended Universe, James Gunn is in the process of planning the franchise’s next chapter. Stars like Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson will no longer headline the superhero franchise. And it seems another alum won’t be a part of Gunn’s DCEU, either: Ben Affleck.
Affleck, who played Batman in a few DC movies during Zack Snyder’s reign as head of DC, recently addressed whether he’d direct a project for the new DCU. Although Affleck has no issues with Gunn personally, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s uninterested in where things are headed.
“I would not direct something for the Gunn DC,” Affleck said. “Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
Justice League was “the worst experience” Ben Affleck ever had in the movie business
Affleck’s disinterest may stem from Gunn’s decision to oust the stars and characters who have defined the DCEU for the past decade and reset the franchise following the upcoming Flash movie. Although the DCU is overdue for a fresh start, Gunn’s approach has been controversial among fans and talent alike.
Of course, it sounds like Affleck had already lost interest in directing for DC, anyway. The actor told THR that his experience with Justice League left “the most monstrous taste in my mouth.” Even after Zack Snyder’s Justice League rectified many of the issues with the original Justice League movie, that taste lingered:
"Retroactively, it’s a hit. All of a sudden I was getting congratulated for the bomb I’m in. But I was going to direct a Batman, and [Justice League] made me go, ‘I’m out. I never want to do any of this again. I’m not suited.’ That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart."
Ben Affleck “nailed” playing Batman in The Flash movie
All that said, Affleck will appear as Bruce Wayne/Batman one more time in The Flash, which is due out on June 16 of this year. And it sounds like he’s happy with it:
"I did finally figure out how to play that character [Batman], and I nailed it in The Flash. For the five minutes I’m there, it’s really great. A lot of it’s just tone. You’ve got to figure out, what’s your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman."
And Affleck has more projects ahead that have nothing to do with DC. Per Deadline, Artists Equity — the production company Affleck launched alongside Matt Damon — is previewing its first film at SXSW, with talks of a second already underway.
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