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‘It was so gross’: Ben Affleck calls Justice League the lowest point of his career, says studio replacing Zack Snyder with Joss Whedon doomed the film
In a recent interview, Ben Affleck recalled Justice League reshoots and how the studio clash with Zack Snyder doomed the film.
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Hollywood actor Ben Affleck has not held back while reflecting on his experience of making Justice League. The actor, who played Batman in the DC Extended Universe film, has called it the lowest point of his career, criticising the way the production was handled after director Zack Snyder stepped away from the project.
Ben Affleck on Justice League
In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ben spoke about the personal and professional difficulties that made the film such a negative experience for him. He also pointed to the growing differences between Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder, saying the clash between a studio and its filmmaker played a major role in the film’s troubled production.
"The truth is, the experience of Justice League 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," the actor said.
Deep Dive
Ben reflects on the troubled production
Justice League faced problems after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to perform as Warner Bros. had hoped. The studio reportedly wanted the next film to have a lighter tone and appeal to a wider audience. Things took another turn when Zack stepped away during post-production following the death of his daughter by suicide.
Joss Whedon was brought in to complete the film, with extensive reshoots changing several aspects of the original version. Affleck remains critical of how the situation was handled, describing Snyder’s exit and the reshoots as one of the worst professional experiences he has had.
"Boy, that was shitty. Him being taken off that movie, and the reshoots that we did—if you want the low point of my career, it was that. Somebody's death by suicide, that eclipses everything. And the way that was, I thought, frankly, used as an excuse… I just thought that was one of the shittiest things I've ever seen. It was so gross. And then the whole environment and vibe, much of which I wasn't privy to, but that I sort of heard about secondhand in terms of Ray [Fisher] and Gal [Gadot] and other people's experiences. It was just like 'Wow, this is about as gross as it gets," Ben added.
About Justice League
Justice League was a 2017 superhero film directed initially by Zack Snyder, with Joss Whedon taking over during post-production. The film starred Ben Affleck as Batman alongside Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher. It followed the superheroes as they unite to stop Steppenwolf from destroying Earth. The film underwent extensive reshoots and received mixed reviews upon release, with its production becoming a major talking point among DC fans.
