Actor Ben Affleck says he won’t direct any DC movies under new studio head James Gunn — despite previous plans to direct a Batman film after donning the crusader’s cape himself.
Affleck explained his position in an interview published Thursday by The Hollywood Reporter, saying that doing “Justice League” had changed his perspective on the superhero film genre in general, leaving “the most monstrous taste” in his mouth.
“You could teach a seminar on all the reasons why this is how not to do it,” Affleck said of making “Justice League. “Ranging from production to bad decisions to horrible personal tragedy, and just ending with the most monstrous taste in my mouth. The genius, and the silver lining, is that Zack Snyder eventually went to AT&T and was like, ‘Look, I can get you four hours of content.'”
Affleck went on to say that the extra “content” Snyder had provided was mostly slow motion he had shot in black-and-white — along with one day when Affleck says they shot in Snyder’s backyard.
“He was like, ‘Do you want to come shoot in my backyard?’ I was like, ‘I think there are unions, Zack. I think we have to make a deal.’ But I went and did it. And now [Zack Snyder’s Justice League] is my highest-rated movie on IMDb,” he said.
“Retroactively, it’s a hit. All of a sudden I was getting congratulated for the bomb I’m in,” Affleck continued, adding that his experience on “Justice League” was what made him decide he was not going to direct a Batman film after all. “[It] 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 sh***y experiences. It broke my heart.”
Lamenting the constant use of green screens, adding, “You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it you’re just standing against the computer screen going, ‘If this nuclear waste gets loose, we’ll …'”
When asked whether he’d consider coming back to direct a DC movie, Affleck was adamant. “I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not,” he said. “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.”