Actor and director Ben Affleck described the troubled production and reshoots on the 2017 superhero movie “Justice League” as the lowest moment of his professional career, speaking on an episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast released Monday.
Affleck, who portrayed Bruce Wayne and Batman in the Warner Bros. DC Comics franchise, reflected candidly with host Josh Horowitz on the turmoil surrounding original director Zack Snyder’s exit and the subsequent overhaul led by filmmaker Joss Whedon, Variety reported.
Dispute Over Snyder’s Departure
Snyder initially stepped away from post-production following creative disagreements with Warner Bros. executives and the death of his 20-year-old daughter, Autumn Snyder, who died by suicide. Affleck disputed the narrative that Snyder left purely on his own terms, asserting that the studio weaponized the personal grief to force a change in creative direction.
Affleck said that while someone’s death by suicide “eclipses everything,” seeing that loss used as a pretext to push Snyder out was especially reprehensible, according to TheWrap. He called the decision one of the worst actions he had ever witnessed in the entertainment industry.
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Following Snyder’s departure, Warner Bros. brought in Whedon to rewrite and reshoot extensive sequences to lighten the tone. Snyder recently estimated to Variety that Whedon’s rewrites encompassed roughly 60 pages of fresh script material. Affleck indicated that the resulting set atmosphere was deeply unpleasant, noting that he later learned secondhand about distressing interactions faced by co-stars Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher, Deadline reported. Gadot previously accused Whedon of threatening her career on set, an allegation Whedon denied.
Personal Strain and Franchise Fallout
Beyond the studio battles, Affleck explained that the period coincided with significant hardship in his private life, including a divorce and struggles with alcohol abuse. Nevertheless, he emphasized that those challenges did not cause the film’s collapse, pointing instead to institutional mismanagement.
Affleck observed that the production served as a stark case study in “how not to make a movie,” stating that major productions inevitably fail when studio executives work at cross-purposes with their director, according to ComingSoon.net.
The theatrical cut of “Justice League” met harsh reviews and grossed approximately $661 million worldwide, falling short of financial expectations for DC’s flagship superhero team-up. The fallout also derailed Affleck’s planned standalone Batman film, which he had intended to direct and star in alongside Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke. That project was ultimately scrapped, clearing the way for director Matt Reeves to reboot the franchise with Robert Pattinson.
Vindication and New Franchise Disclosures
Affleck expressed satisfaction that Snyder eventually released his original four-hour vision on HBO Max following an extensive fan campaign, praising Snyder for deftly navigating the situation to get his work seen by the public.
During the same interview, Affleck also disclosed that Lucasfilm previously approached him to direct the 2015 blockbuster “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Affleck said he declined the opportunity because he believed another filmmaker with greater personal devotion to the property would execute the material better, paving the way for J.J. Abrams to helm the relaunch.
Affleck has since stepped away from the superhero genre entirely, focusing instead on independent projects and his own directing work.
