Los Angeles: Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck has described working on the superhero film 'Justice League' as a low point in his career.
Affleck, who played Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, in the 2017 film, discussed the troubled production during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast while promoting his Netflix film Animals.
“The truth is, the experience of 'Justice League' for me was so, so negative for lots of different reasons. Some of which having to do with where I was personally, some of which having to do with the tragedy that happened during the time, and also the fact that I really saw how not to make a movie like that when the studio is at odds with the filmmaker. You’re really making a mistake. That was what really doomed that,” Affleck said.
After 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' underperformed at the box office in 2016, Warner Bros reportedly wanted Zack Snyder’s 'Justice League' to have a lighter tone, which conflicted with the filmmaker’s darker creative vision.
Snyder subsequently stepped away from directing the film following the death by suicide of his daughter. Warner Bros hired Joss Whedon to oversee extensive reshoots intended to lighten the film’s tone. The movie ultimately underperformed at the box office, prompting fans to demand the release of Snyder’s original version. Snyder’s version was released on HBO Max in 2021 to critical acclaim.
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When Horowitz asked Affleck about watching the film “kind of collapsing in front of you”, the actor said the death of Snyder’s daughter overshadowed everything else.
“Somebody’s death by suicide, that eclipses everything,” he said.
Affleck also criticised what he viewed as the use of the tragedy to justify decisions surrounding the production.
Affleck said he was happy that Snyder eventually got the opportunity to release his version of the film.
