Ben Affleck reveals why he chose to play Batman: ‘It was worth every moment of suffering on Justice League’

Actor’s turn as the DC Comics superhero was met with a mixed response

Ben Affleck has revealed the main reason behind his choice to play Batman, and why it was worth “suffering on Justice League”.

Affleck – who has starred as the superhero in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016) and Justice League (2017) – opened up about his time playing the coveted role in an interview with Variety.

The Academy Award-winner shocked fans when it was announced that he would be playing Batman in 2016’s Batman v Superman. Now, the actor has revealed that the choice was “for my kids”.

Affleck said: “I did Batman because I wanted to do it for my kids. I wanted to do something that my son would dig. I mean, my kids didn’t see Argo.”

He added: “I wore the suit to my son’s birthday party, which was worth every moment of suffering on Justice League.”

Ben Affleck as Batman with the batmobile in a Batman vs Superman teaser photo (Zack Snyder)

The 48-year-old’s turn as the DC superhero was poorly received by many critics, with the films receiving mostly average or negative reviews.

Speaking about his tumultuous time playing Bruce Wayne, he said: “I started drinking too much around the time of Justice League, and it’s a hard thing to confront and deal with.

“I’ve been sober for a while now, and I feel really good – as healthy and good as I’ve ever felt.”

The Gone Girl star is set to reprise the role in a limited capacity in DC’s forthcoming film The Flash, which is scheduled for release on 4 November 2022.