Ben Affleck says working on 'Justice League' was so 'monstrous' it made him 'drink too much'

vt-author-image

By James Kay

Article saved!Article saved!

Ben Affleck has opened up about working on Justice League - which seems like it took its toll as he referred to it as "monstrous" and claimed that it lead him to "drink too much."

The Justice League movie saw all the heavy hitters of the DC universe come together, not once but twice, as a longer version of the film was re-released.

The movie was set to be directed by Zack Snyder who completed the bulk of it, but after dropping out due to a family tragedy, The Avengers director Joss Whedon finished things off.

It would seem that Snyder wasn't a fan of how Whedon finished off the movie, as he released the "Snyder Cut" version which came in at a whopping four hours long.

size-full wp-image-1263201186
Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

The movie featured a host of stars such as Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, and Ezra Miller - But it was Batman actor Ben Affleck who appeared to have the worst time while on set.

The star sat down with the Hollywood Reporter where he revealed that working on a high-profile movie isn't as fun as people assume.

"I just thought, This isn’t the life I want. My kids aren’t here. I’m miserable," Affleck said while revealing that his time on set made him "drink too much."

Explaining that the experience left a "monstrous taste" in his mouth, the actor went on: "Retroactively, it’s a hit. All of a sudden I was getting congratulated for the bomb I’m in. But I was going to direct a Batman, and [Justice League] made me go, 'I'm out. I never want to do any of this again. I’m not suited.'"

Claiming that shooting the movie "broke his heart," Affleck stated: "That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business, which is full of some s***y experiences."

Due to the rough time he had on set, the 50-year-old pulled out of directing a standalone Batman film.

Declaring that he spent most of his time playing the superhero "sweaty and exhausted," he openly admitted that it was "not satisfying."

size-full wp-image-1263201187
The original cut of The Justice League received backlash from fans and critics. Credit: BFA / Alamy

The original cut of the movie also did not go down well with critics, with the director of the Dark Knight trilogy, Christopher Nolan, reportedly telling Snyder to not watch it.

Affleck appears to agree that the original cut was a bit rushed as he said: "There was an idea of someone coming in, like, I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret." The star added: "It wasn't the secret."

If you or someone you know is battling addiction, please reach out for help and contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or go to https://findtreatment.gov/

Featured image credit: Dom Slike / Alamy