The one movie Ben Affleck will regret for the rest of his life: “It just kills me”
It’s an understatement to say that Ben Affleck‘s career has been a varied one. After being a child star on PBS’ The Voyage of the Mimi, Affleck took on several roles in the 1990s that established him as a big name in the film circuit. Amongst them were performances in Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting and Armageddon.
Just after the beginning of the 21st Century, after appearing in Pearl Harbour and The Sum of All Fears, Affleck’s career began to take a slight dip in quality. He eventually made a comeback with Hollywoodland and made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone. By the time Affleck’s Argo came out in 2012, he was back on track.
But, of course, his career isn’t without its mistakes. One need only breathe the word Gigli to receive a look of derision from every cinephile who put themselves through the ordeal of watching it. The picture is probably only notable for being a vehicle for Affleck and Jennifer Lopez to showcase their chemistry. But, that isn’t the only movie that has risen above the parapet of pap to shame Affleck’s career.
One film from that downturn period of his career remains a source of regret for Affleck. He once said (via Business Insider): “The only movie I actually regret is Daredevil. It just kills me. I love that story and that character, and the fact that it got fucked up the way it did stays with me. Maybe that’s part of the motivation to do Batman.”
Indeed, Affleck took on the unenviable task of following on from Christian Bale’s portrayal of Batman in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. “That’s the movie I want to do,” Affleck said of his involvement in the DC Films project. “I want to be a part of that. Part of it was I wanted for once to get one of these movies and do it right – to do a good version. I hate Daredevil so much. It frustrated me.”
However, Affleck also admitted to enjoying the other Daredevil – the Netflix-produced TV series starring Charlie Cox as the titular hero. “The Netflix show does really cool stuff,” Affleck said. “I feel like that was there for us to do with that character, and we never kind of got it right. I wanted to do one of those movies and sort of get it right.”
Affleck received his fair share of criticism for his role as Batman, although, as stated above, he had one hell of an act to follow. However, even without the looming shadow of Christian Bale, Affleck might just be the “worst Batman of all time“.
Despite the criticism, Affleck stands tall in his choice to play the hero of Gotham City – even if the same can’t be said for Daredevil. He noted: “If I thought the result would be another Daredevil, I’d be out there picketing myself. Why would I make the movie if I didn’t think it was going to be good and that I can be good in it?”
Superhero movies might seem like a simple premise, but there is something difficult to pull off, and that’s authenticity. Remarkably, in a world so deeply entrenched in fantasy, the need for audiences to truly believe the action they are watching is greater than ever. For every Avengers series, there is a Green Lantern, and that delicate balance shouldn’t be forgotten.
