Superhero movies have survived some legendary studio meddling. Suicide Squad emerged from competing edits, Fantastic Four became a production cautionary tale, and then 2017’s Justice League arrived like a cinematic Frankenstein stitched together under fluorescent boardroom lighting.

Zack Snyder stepped away following the d**** of his daughter, Autumn, and Joss Whedon was brought in for extensive reshoots that dramatically reshaped the movie.

Years later, Ben Affleck has drawn back the curtains around how miserable the process became.

Ben Affleck recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and didn't hold back, calling the Justice League reshoots "the low point" of his "career" while condemning Warner Bros.' decision to replace Zack Snyder with Joss Whedon.

""It was so gross. The whole environment and vibe [on set during the reshoots], much of which I was not privy to but heard secondhand from the actors, it was just, 'Wow, this is about as gross as it gets,'" Affleck stated.

Emphasizing that Snyder's daughter's d**** by s***** "eclipses everything and criticizing how the studio allegedly used the tragedy as an excuse to remove Snyder from the project. Affleck also explained that the entire experience taught him how not to make a movie when the studio and filmmaker are at odds, calling it a fundamental mistake that poisoned the production.

He expressed genuine relief that Snyder eventually released his version through the Snyder Cut, calling it "f****** great" and saying he was really happy for him after years of fan campaigning forced Warner Bros. to acknowledge the original director's vision.

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That experience soured one corner of Affleck’s superhero journey, but he had already shown years earlier that he knew when to walk away from another enormous franchise, Star Wars.

Ben Affleck also confirmed on Happy Sad Confused that Lucasfilm approached him about directing what eventually became Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The offer arrived after Disney acquired Lucasfilm; his answer was refreshingly free of Jedi mind tricks.

“I like Star Wars and I’m a fan, but I’m not the person to direct this movie,” Affleck recalled telling himself.

He believed another filmmaker with a deeper passion for the galaxy could deliver stronger work and admitted that he lacked confidence in his ability to reinvent the franchise successfully. Affleck also pointed to the intense opinions surrounding Star Wars fandom and the enormous challenge of steering a saga carrying decades of expectations.

He compared the decision to other scripts he has declined as a director simply because he did not feel capable of making them into something he would be proud of. The galaxy has kept moving regardless. Shawn Levy is directing Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling as Kade Auberon, with the film scheduled for May 28, 2027. 

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What do you think about Ben Affleck’s comments on the Justice League reshoots and Zack Snyder’s exit? Let us know in the comments.