Ben Affleck Calls Filming ‘Justice League’ a “Low Point” in His Career: “About as Gross as It Gets”
Ben Affleck has described filming 2017’s *Justice League* as a low point in his acting career, citing personal circumstances and the conflict between Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder over the film’s direction. He said the production showed how damaging it can be when a studio and filmmaker are at odds.
Snyder stepped away after his daughter’s death, and Joss Whedon took over, overseeing extensive reshoots that changed the film’s tone. Affleck also criticised how the tragedy was handled and referred to reports about other cast members’ experiences; in 2021, Snyder released a separate cut after a fan campaign and a $70 million investment to complete it.
- Affleck calls filming *Justice League* a career low.
- He blamed studio and filmmaker conflict for damaging the production.
- Snyder’s cut was released in 2021 after a fan campaign.
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Justice League is a superhero film based on characters from DC Comics, including Batman, played by Ben Affleck. It brought together several heroes in a team story and was released by Warner Bros. in 2017.
Zack Snyder began directing the film but left after his daughter died. Joss Whedon took over and oversaw substantial reshoots, amid reported disagreements with the studio about the film’s direction. Snyder later completed a longer version, released in 2021 after fans campaigned for it.
The film’s production became an example of how a change in director and competing creative plans can reshape a major studio film. Affleck has also linked his experience on it to difficulties in his personal life at the time.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Affleck’s account supports the view that a film suffers when studio priorities and a director’s vision clash, especially when a production changes course after a bereavement. The extensive reshoots and later release of Snyder’s cut suggest that the process left unresolved questions about the film’s direction and how the tragedy was handled.
The case against
A studio can reasonably argue that it must adapt a production to meet practical, creative and commercial needs when a director steps away, while completing a film already under way. Affleck’s experience is important testimony, but it reflects one participant’s perspective; the studio’s decisions and the wider production cannot be fully assessed from the reported account alone.