Matt Damon Reveals Ben Affleck Beat His Wife to the Big Odyssey Casting News

Published 07/21/2026, 11:23 PM EDT

Credits: Netflix

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s friendship has been one of Hollywood’s most enduring success stories, beginning with their Good Will Hunting breakthrough and carrying them through Oscars, blockbusters, and years of shared ambition. From scrappy young writers to major industry figures, they have built a bond as famous as their careers.

Now Damon has revealed a moment that suggests Affleck may be even quicker to hear his news than his own wife.

A casting reveal that turned into a classic Damon-Affleck moment

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Matt Damon revealed on 100 Questions with Tom Simons with Tom Holland that Ben Affleck was the first person to hear he had landed The Odyssey, and the story came with a very Damon-Affleck kind of twist.

“I was on the phone with him for about 30 minutes... they were at the office in LA. I hung up with him, and my wife texted me: ‘Why didn't you tell me first?’ Cause Ben had run into her office to tell her.” 

Credits: Netflix

Damon told Tom Simons. Their friendship goes back to childhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, long before Good Will Hunting turned them into Oscar-winning collaborators and one of Hollywood’s most recognizable duos. Since then, they have stayed closely connected through scripts, awards seasons, business ventures, and more recent projects like The Rip and their company Artists Equity. 

What makes the anecdote especially engaging is how it transforms a major career milestone into something personal. Not only does it highlight the immediacy of their friendship, but it also shows how instinctively they share big moments, even when timing creates a humorous overlap. That small incident adds another layer to a relationship that has managed to stay grounded despite decades in the spotlight.

That same instinct to stay ahead of the curve now extends beyond friendship and into business.

A major AI deal between Ben Affleck and Netflix

Netflix paid $587 million in cash for Ben Affleck’s AI company InterPositive, according to a federal filing, confirming a figure that had previously circulated as an estimate. The deal marks a significant step for Netflix, bringing the startup and its 16-person team into the company while Affleck remains involved as a senior adviser.

via Imago

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InterPositive was designed to assist filmmakers with post-production rather than replace creative input. Its tools work with existing footage, helping refine lighting, correct continuity, adjust backgrounds, and streamline edits that would otherwise require extensive manual effort. The goal is to support artists by improving efficiency while preserving the creative core of filmmaking.

The acquisition also aligns with Netflix’s broader push into generative AI. The company has stated that roughly 300 of its titles have already incorporated some level of this technology this year. Even so, its leadership continues to emphasize that human creators remain central to the process, with AI positioned as a tool rather than a replacement. 

Netflix Made an Unusual Deal for ‘The Rip’ — And 1,200 Crew Members Benefited

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What do you think about Matt Damon’s casting reveal and Ben Affleck’s growing role in AI-driven filmmaking? Let us know in the comments.

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Pratham Gurung

427 articles

If films shape personalities, Pratham was practically raised in a dark theater, pulling off twenty-four-hour movie marathons and falling into hour-long YouTube video essays at 3 a.m., his fascination with cinema never really having an off switch.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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