(Image: Warner Bros. Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures)
Ben Affleck has spoken countless times about his decision to step down as Batman, explaining the various reasons behind it, including his long-term struggle with alcoholism and the chaotic production of "Justice League." While recently promoting his new film "The Accountant 2," he shared more details in an interview with GQ magazine.
"There were a lot of factors that made filming 'Justice League' a physically and mentally draining experience, and those factors weren't entirely related to things like playing a superhero," Affleck said. "I'm not interested in doing those kinds of movies anymore, not because of that experience, but because I've lost the passion that initially inspired me. But I definitely would not want to go through that experience again."
(Image: GQ)
Affleck continued, "The factors behind it had to do with conflicting plans, expectations, and perceptions, and I also didn't contribute my best work. There were things I did poorly during that process. I mean, as an actor." Affleck explained that he brought a lot of negative emotions to the set. "While I didn't cause trouble for anyone, I just clocked in and clocked out. But you have to do better than that standard," he reflected.
Affleck went on to explain that this is precisely why he and his friend Matt Damon founded their new production company, Artists Equity. The company is dedicated to securing more equitable pay and a more consistent creative vision for all crew members, aiming to foster a stronger sense of unity on set and prevent anyone from phoning in their work due to creative differences.
(Image: GQ)
Affleck also emphasized that he still enjoyed playing Batman and liked the original vision for the character—an older, battle-scarred Dark Knight. However, the public reaction wasn't entirely what they had anticipated. "The truth is, for a lot of the audience, the story started to become too adult and dark, just like how my son was scared to watch 'Justice League' at the time. When I saw that, I thought, 'Oh my God, we're in trouble.' Then I realized it was all because one creator wanted to continue down that path, while the studio, wanting to re-attract all the young viewers, had a different plan. So you end up with two versions, with two people trying to make different movies. It's a terrible way to cook."
(Image: GQ)
During the interview, GQ also brought up Affleck's past remarks on the "Armageddon" DVD commentary track, where he famously mocked the film's plot. Affleck laughed, saying his commentary at least deserved a spot in the top five greatest DVD commentaries in film history. He added that his critiques only went viral years after someone stumbled upon them, and he was surprised by how widely they spread.
But Affleck also feels he shouldn't have said those things. "Everything I said in the commentary was true, one hundred percent true, but that's the point—you're not supposed to spill all the truths."
At the time, Affleck mentioned on the commentary that he had asked director Michael Bay why it would be easier to train oil drillers to be astronauts than to train astronauts how to drill. Bay, unconcerned with the plot hole, simply told him to shut up. Affleck now admits to GQ that he never expected "Armageddon" to be a work of genius but was surprised at how little some people involved in such films care about logic. He recalled that even co-star Billy Bob Thornton argued with the crew about the logic of a scene for a while before finally giving up and embracing the story's simple, bombastic spirit.
via： GQ