Ben Affleck will 'absolutely not' direct any of James Gunn's DC movies after Justice League

Ben Affleck has officially shot down the possibility of him directing anything from James Gunn and Peter Safran's slate of new DC superhero movies.

Gunn tweeted in December that he had spoken with Affleck, who starred as the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, "precisely because he wants to direct [and] we want him to direct," with the filmmaker adding, "We just have to find the right project."

But Affleck has now said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "I would not direct something for the Gunn DC. Absolutely not."

He clarified, "I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he's going to do a great job. I just wouldn't want to go in and direct in the way they're doing that. I'm not interested in that."

Affleck will, however, appear as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash, which hits theaters June 16.

Warner Bros. Pictures Ben Affleck as Batman in 'Justice League'

The actor also spoke about his experience making Justice League and how that film, with its many production woes, dissuaded him from wanting to direct a solo Batman movie.

"I was going to direct a Batman [film], and [Justice League] made me go, 'I'm out. I never want to do any of this again. I'm not suited,'" the Oscar winner said. "That was the worst experience I've ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart."

Director Zack Snyder left Justice League during production, citing the death of his daughter. Joss Whedon then joined to not only finish the project, but overhaul entire portions of it. Various accounts have surfaced about the toxic environment on set.

"There was an idea of someone [Whedon] 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.' And it wasn't the secret," Affleck said. "That was hard. And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London. It was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, 'This isn't the life I want. My kids aren't here. I'm miserable.'"

He also mentioned getting to a point where he "found it creatively not satisfying," adding, "You're sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, 'I don't want to participate in this in any way. And I don't want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount.'"

Gunn recently revealed that he will direct the new Superman movie, titled Superman: Legacy, based off a screenplay he wrote. The film is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025. The Batman director Matt Reeves is also returning to helm the sequel, set to hit theaters Oct. 3, 2025.

Read the full interview with Affleck at The Hollywood Reporter.

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