By For being what many fans consider the best part of Batman V Superman and Justice League, it was strange to hear that actor Ben Affleck would be stepping away from starring in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. He seemed like such a good fit and was obviously passionate about the character, but something went wrong along the way. We now have a better idea of what that something was.
In an interview published by The New York Times this week, Affleck revealed that his struggles with alcoholism are the reason he left the cape and cowl behind. With his marriage to Jennifer Garner falling apart while working on Justice League, Affleck took to alcohol and developed a bit of a problem.
“I showed somebody The Batman script,” Affleck told the publication. “They said, ‘I think the script is good. I also think you’ll drink yourself to death if you go through what you just went though again.'” He then explained how his drinking was “relatively normal” for a time, but then began to worsen as his marital problems added up. “You’re trying to make yourself feel better with eating or drinking or sex or gambling or shopping or whatever, but that ends up making your life worse.”
This isn’t an uncommon story in Hollywood. The pressure to always be the best at your profession leads a lot of actors down the path of the bottle. Affleck may not have been the greatest person during all of this, but he hopefully learns from his mistakes and grows. He’s a talented director and certainly deserves some happiness.
Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He’s Trying Honesty. [The New York Times]