Award-winning actor and director Ben Affleck reveals his experience on 2017's Justice League pushed him to drink excessively amid the various changes that took place while making the superhero movie.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck detailed the stress and chaos that ensued during the production of the DCEU film. Calling it the "worst experience" he's had in the industry, Affleck revealed Justice League led him to quit the Batman project, which he was set to star in and direct, as it had a negative impact on his mental health. "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," he said. "There was an idea of someone [Joss Whedon] coming in, like, 'I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret.' And it wasn’t the secret. That was hard. And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London, it was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, 'This isn’t the life I want. My kids aren’t here. I’m miserable.'"
Justice League was originally intended to be part of a multi-film arc by original director Zack Snyder as part of the DCEU. However, tragedy struck during production of the 2017 film and Snyder was forced to depart the project. Whedon, who also directed and wrote multiple installments of the Avengers movie series for Marvel Studios, stepped in to finish Justice League. This was one of many reported behind-the-scenes issues that have surfaced in recent years.
A Conclusion to Ben Affleck's Batman
Affleck's tenure as Bruce Wayne in the DCU also included Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. His upcoming feature in The Flash will be the end of "Batfleck," with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirming that his DCU will introduce a new Batman. Though Gunn wouldn't rule out Affleck directing a DCU movie down the line, Affleck has since shot down the prospects of making a Batman film in the new-look universe.
The Flash will see Affleck and Michael Keaton's versions of the Dark Knight appear alongside the titular superhero, played by Ezra Miller. The movie sees Barry Allen travel back in time to try and stop his mother's murder, but he ends up trapped in an alternate reality without metahumans, leading him to enlist the help of an older Batman and Supergirl to save the world from General Zod's wrath.
The Flash is scheduled to hit theaters on Jun. 16.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter