When Ben Affleck was cast as Batman, the majority of DC fans were unhappy and went on a rampage on social media sites to express their discontent. However, after watching him as Batman, the opinion of the majority was turned, with some even claiming that the backlash over him being cast as the caped crusader was unnecessary.
Even after the backlash and criticism, Affleck expressed his love for playing the character. But then he was allegedly said to have been kicked out by James Gunn. That was, however, far from the truth, since it was his lifelong best friend who eventually convinced him to step down.
Ben Affleck’s Best Friend Convinced Him To Step Down From Batman Role
Despite what the critics and anti-fans claimed, Ben Affleck‘s Batman portrayal was enjoyable and every bit as dark and gritty as the comics. It was refreshing watching his take on the popular comic book character and adding his color to the storyline. Despite the eventual turn of public opinion, the Daredevil star decided to step down from the role after the box-office disaster movie, The Flash.
While many fans alleged that it was James Gunn, the new DC head, who convinced him to make this decision, it was Ben Affleck’s childhood best friend and co-actor Matt Damon who helped him make the decision. When talking to Damon for an interview with Entertainment Weekley, he stated,
“In fact, I talked to you about it and you were a principal influence on that decision. I want to do the things that would bring me joy. Then we went and did Last Duel and I had fun every day on this movie.”
Affleck’s decision was ultimately because of his experience on the sets of Justice League, which he describes as a horrible one. His best friend, Damon only pushed him in the right direction for the sake of his best friend’s happiness.
Ben Affleck Had A Bad Time On The Set Of Justice League
The shoot of Justice League was riddled with a lot of tragedies and issues. First, it was Zack Snyder‘s departure from the movie because of his daughter’s untimely death. When Joss Whedon took over, the movie had to undergo several reshoots. This experience made it tough for Affleck and he wasn’t able to enjoy the work as much as thought he would.
“It was really Justice League that was the nadir for me. That was a bad experience because of a confluence of things: my own life, my divorce, being away too much, the competing agendas and then Zack’s personal tragedy and the reshooting. It just was the worst experience. It was awful.”
While he maintains the movie wasn’t all too bad, the on-set experience was too hard for him to the point that he ended up frustrated. Even though he enjoyed working on The Flash, Affleck thought it was about time he stepped down and let somebody else don the mantle of Gotham’s Dark Knight.
Justice League can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
Source: Entertainment Weekly and LA Times
