In a candid interview with GQ, Ben Affleck, known for his role as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, shared the challenges he faced while portraying the iconic superhero in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Reflecting on nearly a decade of embodying the Caped Crusader, Affleck described his journey within the Snyder-verse as "excruciating." He pinpointed a complex relationship with DC as a major factor in his waning interest in the superhero genre.

"There are numerous reasons why that was a really excruciating experience," Affleck explained. He clarified that his dissatisfaction wasn't solely due to the demands of superhero films but rather a combination of factors that led him to lose interest in the genre. "I am not interested in going down that particular genre again, not because of that bad experience, but just: I’ve lost interest in what was of interest about it to me. But I certainly wouldn’t want to replicate an experience like that."

Affleck has previously discussed his struggles with the role, but this time he shed more light on the underlying issues. He attributed his challenging experience to a "misalignment of agendas, understandings, and expectations" and acknowledged his own contribution to the difficulties. "I mean, my failings as an actor, you can watch the various movies and judge. But more of my failings of, in terms of why I had a bad experience, part of it is that what I was bringing to work every day was a lot of unhappiness," he admitted. He added that while he didn't cause problems, he felt he needed to bring more positive energy to his work.

Affleck's tenure with DC began with his role in Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman alongside Henry Cavill. This was followed by several appearances in ensemble films like Justice League (both the 2017 original and the 2021 Snyder Cut), The Flash, and a cameo in Suicide Squad in 2016. A planned standalone Batman film, which was rumored to explore 80 years of the Dark Knight's history, delve into Arkham Asylum, and potentially feature Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, was ultimately canceled.

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Affleck credited his decision to step away from the role partly to advice from his longtime collaborator Matt Damon. Additionally, his son's reaction to Batman v. Superman played a role in his decision. "But what happened was it started to skew too old for a big part of the audience. Like even my own son at the time was too scared to watch (Batman v. Superman). And so when I saw that I was like, 'Oh shit, we have a problem.' Then I think that’s when you had a filmmaker that wanted to continue down that road and a studio that wanted to recapture all the younger audience at cross purposes. Then you have two entities, two people really wanting to do something different and that is a really bad recipe."

As DC navigates its future, it is separating its storytelling into grittier and more lighthearted paths. The darker tone will continue with The Batman 2, slated for 2027, while the lighter side will be explored in James Gunn's DCU, starting with Superman this July. As for Affleck, he has ruled out directing a film in Gunn’s new universe, signaling his complete departure from the DC franchise.