Ben Affleck Talks About Missing Out On Directing Superman: The Man Of Steel!

Ben Affleck Talks About Missing Out On Directing Superman: The Man Of Steel!

The critically acclaimed director and actor talks briefly about missing out on the chance to direct the upcoming reboot and also shares his thoughts on Chris Nolan and Zack Snyder...

By JoshWilding - Nov 27, 2010 11:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman
Source: Deadline

With the Oscar buzz around Affleck growing ("Best Picture", "Best Director" and "Best Actor" have all been mentioned) Deadline had chance to catch up with the former superhero and asked him about missing out on the chance to direct Warner Bros new Superman movie and just how tempted he'd be to take on a project of that size in future.



"The one benefit of having done all kinds of movies as an actor is, you learn the pros and cons of being tempted to do a really big movie because it costs a lot of money. With Superman, I think they’re going to do a great version. Chris Nolan is brilliant and they’ve got a great director for it."


I’ve love to do something like Blade Runner, but a lesson I’ve learned is to not look at movies based on budget, how much they’ll spend on effects, or where they will shoot. Story is what’s important. Also, there are a lot of guys ahead of me on the list to do epic effects movies.


I'm not sure how many of you saw The Town, but it was probably the best movie I've seen this year and excellently directed by Affleck. Despite his dodgy performance as Daredevil a few years back, I would have loved to of seen him in the directors chair of The Man of Steel. What do you think? Be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place!




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LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/27/2010, 11:33 AM
No loss there lol.

Still he is a huge comic book fan, maybe there is?
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/27/2010, 11:34 AM
Anyone that hasn't seen 'HOLLYWOODLAND' get the DVD, gr8 movie and worth a watch!
Ibz
Ibz - 11/27/2010, 11:34 AM
i dont think he was ready to do a big movie like superman, give him a couple of more movies and he'll be ready to direct a big one, but he's definitely a better director then actor
Angelus
Angelus - 11/27/2010, 11:36 AM
Yeah it's green but not really liquid and whatever. I am not sure about the lighting and I don't care. Continue with the marathons and fish.

BMP!
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 11/27/2010, 11:41 AM
Personally, I think it was a huge loss LEE! I'm not sure whether you've seen Gone Baby Gone and The Town, but they're both excellent. (the latter especially) The heist and action scenes in that were phenomenal and it's for that reason I'm not too upset he wont be directing this movie. I'd be much happier if he stuck with making stuff like The Town, and as much as I loved Inception, I hope Affleck picks up the "Best Picture" and "Best Director" Oscars next year! :)
longbowhunter
longbowhunter - 11/27/2010, 11:47 AM
Gone Baby Gone was a pretty good movie.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/27/2010, 11:49 AM
Josh @ Nahhh not seen Gone Baby Gone or The Town lol... I take it their good then?
P862010
P862010 - 11/27/2010, 11:53 AM
his style really would'nt fit supes anyways he has a very realistic gritty style

funny enough he could probably be better suited to direct dare devil lol
TheAwesome
TheAwesome - 11/27/2010, 11:53 AM
Snyder FTW
jaysin420
jaysin420 - 11/27/2010, 12:01 PM
I don't mind Affleck, but I thought The Town was really disappointing.
commanderhulk
commanderhulk - 11/27/2010, 12:14 PM
I think Affleck would have been a great choice to direct Superman. Gone Baby Gone and the Town were both incredible and shows Affleck really is a good director (maybe better director then he is an actor).

I am still hesitant on Synder directing, but if Affleck had directed, I would have been so excitted to see what he would have brought because it would have been something diffrent and unexpected.
comicbookjerk
comicbookjerk - 11/27/2010, 12:22 PM
Daredevil Directors cut was awsome
EndOfDays
EndOfDays - 11/27/2010, 12:29 PM
"Affleck you were the bomb in phantoms yo!". He's a terrific director and should probably be looked at to take over Bats considering his gritty style if Nolan really leaves the franchise after Rises.
48and2
48and2 - 11/27/2010, 12:32 PM
Affleck just made a few poor choices in his career where Damon did not really miss. For an ultra middle class white dude to try and play a pimp gangster in Gigli, and that weird on screen [frick] fest he and J-lo had is probably the main tarnish on him. Otherwise he'd probably have the Superman job.

But he's quite good in the end, and he, like Nick Cage seems to respond well to criticism.

Hollywoodland is somewhat of a brilliant film imo. Agree with Lee on that - check it out if you haven't.
skidz
skidz - 11/27/2010, 1:31 PM
In spite of Snyder's skills as a director, I'm still a little worried about the whole 'CGI enhanced' Superman. I'm worried that we're going from bull!@#$ story (Superman Returs) to a bull@#$% visual experience. As good as the 300 is, if the movie turns out like that I might have to wait 'til it comes out on video. Affleck has a more practical approach to his films, it's a shame we won't get to see how that sensibility would translate into the Man of Steel.
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/27/2010, 1:35 PM
ben is a good director,but his brother is a better actor.

i'd rather zack snyder direct superman.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 11/27/2010, 1:56 PM
VISUALLY SNYDER WILL KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK..STORYWISE NOLAN WILL TOTALLY BLOW US AWAY ...
P862010
P862010 - 11/27/2010, 2:38 PM
@Wesley

we dont want realistic sensibilities attached to supes(Singer had realistic sensibilities)

we want superman to be freaking superman

is that so much to ask
Hawksblueyes
Hawksblueyes - 11/27/2010, 4:21 PM
Good stuff Josh. I think Affleck is a much better director than he is an actor. I still don't know if he could have done a better job than Snyder but he would have probably done a pretty good one.
mastarockafella
mastarockafella - 11/27/2010, 4:42 PM
I totally respect Ben Aflect ability as a director, but I think he's not for the man of steel as this a very huge epic project.
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 11/27/2010, 4:50 PM
DEALING WITH SUPERMAN..



HOW DO YOU DO IT? HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? ITS BEEN DONE MANY TIMES FROM TV TO FILM AND TO DATE THE ONLY ONE THAT STICKS IN OUR MINDS IS CHRISTOPHER REEVE'S TAKE, THE EFFECTS WEREN'T AS CUTTING EDGE AS TODAY'S, NO CGI, HELL THEY USED WIRES AND PRACTICAL CAMERA TRICKS AND IT ALL GELLED TOGETHER..

MAYBE NOT EVERYONE OF THE CHRIS FILMS WAS AWSOME, SUPERMAN 2 WAS BY FAR THE BEST BUT ICONICALLY, YOU THINK OF SUPERMAN YOU THINK OF CHRIS REEVES THE THEME MUSIC, THE CRYSTAL FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WHOLE DEAL..

SO I GUESS HOLLYWOOD WAS OK WITH SINGER SUGGESTING HEY IT WORKED WITH HIM LETS GET A CLONE OF HIM AND BRING HIM BACK LIKE LAST TIME, AND THEY FOUND ROUTH...


THE GUY LOOKED AND SOUNDED LIKE REEVES, SOME PEOPLE LIKED IT SOME DIDN'T WHY DIDN'T SOME LIKE IT?


YOU MADE HIM EMO, YOU GAVE HIM BAGGAGE, YOU THREW IN REAL WORLD CRAP THAT TOOK THE "SUPER" OUT OF SUPERMAN AND YOU GAVE US LEX LUTHOR AGAIN WICH WAS REMINICENT OF GENE HACKMANS PORTRAYAL, I MEAN DON'T GET ME WRONG SPACY IS PHENOMENAL, BUT IT ALL SEEMED REPEATED...



SO HOW DO YOU DO IT RIGHT? THE WAY PEOPLE WANT? ITS HARD TO PLEASE THE PUBLIC, ITS GOING TO BE A RADICAL CHANGE..TRUE TO THE LORE AND NOTHING WE'VE SEEN REPEATED..ITS POSSIBLE, WE JUST NEED TO BE WOWED AGAIN, ITS ALL ABOUT THE TACKLE, HOW WILL NOLAN AND SNYDER TACKLE IT? I HOPE THE WAY WE WANT IT, OR AT LEAST THE GENERAL AUDIENCE.
48and2
48and2 - 11/27/2010, 4:59 PM
When you give a bread and butter character to the director of 300 and Watchmen, and the governor of Batman successfully reinvented, it's almost a no lose scenario.

The only thing I would be concerned about is Snyder's splatterhouse fetish, and Nolan will most likely serve to counteract that. It really seems a spot on decision... and it is no accident by either party.

AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/27/2010, 5:05 PM
He could have been good? I dont doubt that!
And i totally agree with him! Great story makes great movie!

So The Town is good?... Whats it about?
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 11/27/2010, 5:10 PM
PROBABLLY ABOUT A TOWN,
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/27/2010, 5:54 PM
GUNSMITH@ I think so too?:)
evil1rox
evil1rox - 11/28/2010, 12:05 AM
The Town was very good but they tried to butter it up against "The Departed" too much.

It was very good, and I;ve watched it a few times, but The Departed was a cut above.

BTW- Leo DeCapprio for Hawkeye FTW!!!
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 11/28/2010, 2:20 AM
Gone baby Gone was great, but I thought The Town was way over rated. It was well mad, acted, directed, but story wise it was a fairly standard, formulaic heist movie with zero surprises. Plus, I found the over exaggerated baaaaaastan accents a bit annoying.
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/28/2010, 3:16 AM
ckal@ And i will definitely watch it when it comes in my way.

Erickz@ Agree on that!:)... He was pretty good in Changing Lanes, Hollywoodland, State of Play, Smokin´ Aces, Boiler Room and Dogma.
He has a part in a new un-named Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World) movie and in new drama The Company Men (In other roles. Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones)

Ror@ Exactly what i think it would be.

rsalas
rsalas - 11/28/2010, 7:19 AM
I've enjoyed all his movies. Hollywood Land, The Town and Gone Baby Gone. All good films but I think Superman is a little out of his realm.
Betty
Betty - 11/28/2010, 9:04 AM
I think snyder is a just barely ok choice for directing superman. His movies are over directed. We'll get alotta cool slomos at best. Nolan's going to have to smack him around to get a good film out of him.
HarrisonBergeron
HarrisonBergeron - 11/28/2010, 5:01 PM
I thought The Town was somewhat of a let down. I was expecting something epic, on the level of Godfather, Heat, or Scarface, but to me it turned out to just be a movie about bank robbers. For such a simple story to have been considered an epic (as it could have been) it should have spent more time on characterization. Don't get me wrong, it was a good and entertaining movie, but it could have been a great movie.

I haven't seen "Gone Baby Gone", I'll look into it.
UncleDrew
UncleDrew - 11/28/2010, 11:40 PM
I think his vision would be of a dark Superman but Zack Snyder is a great director and I wouldn't complain if either of them were to be switched in and out.
RyKnow
RyKnow - 11/29/2010, 5:02 AM
After a lot of thinking, I think Neil Blomkamp would have made a great Superman film. But he's not a flavour of the month Director is he.
Matt Reeves would have done great aswell.
r0r5ch4ch84
r0r5ch4ch84 - 11/30/2010, 7:40 AM
I'm sorry but...what of ANYTHING about Brandon Routh resembles the late Christopher Reeves?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZE0rHqpuSf0/S3JLQa-gsnI/AAAAAAAAAtI/haq8U6zIN6I/s400/brandon+routh+christopher+reeve.jpg
Seriously? Are you people blind, on crack or weed or what?
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