Initially, Ben Affleck thought Jennifer Garner would be the right choice to play the wife of Mark (played by Matt Damon) in his crime thriller, * Animals* , scheduled for release on October 9th.
Beyond professional considerations, the 54-year-old actor also considered a practical reason related to his children. "I thought: Jen Garner would be great for this role. It also has the benefit that we can both see our children more, since we take turns caring for them each week. I think we can arrange our schedules around that," Ben Affleck shared with Entertainment Weekly .
Jennifer Garner was initially considered by Ben Affleck for the role of Mark's wife because he believed the actress could bring a new dimension to the character on screen.
Photo: Reuters
Plans to film with ex-wife have been cancelled.
However, about two weeks before filming was scheduled to begin, Ben Affleck unexpectedly decided to halt the project. The reason was that he discovered Animals had many similarities to Highest 2 Lowest (2025), a film by Spike Lee and Denzel Washington that also revolves around the kidnapping of a son and the journey to pay the ransom. In Highest 2 Lowest , the son of a music mogul is kidnapped by the character played by A$AP Rocky. Animals, on the other hand, tells the story of a mayoral candidate and his wife who find themselves in a desperate situation when their son is kidnapped. To raise the ransom money, the couple is forced to make extreme choices, simultaneously revealing dark secrets they wanted to hide.
Concerned that the two films had similar storylines and that Animals might be seen as a "competitor" to Spike Lee's project, Ben Affleck initially considered postponing the release, but later decided not to proceed with production at that time.
Months later, the actor changed his mind because he still couldn't get the project out of his head. However, at this point, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck's longtime collaborator, was unable to take on the lead role due to his involvement in The Odyssey . Ultimately, Ben Affleck decided to take on the role of Mark himself. But this choice led to another problem. If Jennifer Garner had still joined the project, the two would have had to portray a couple with a tumultuous marriage on screen.
Although they didn't reunite on screen this time, Ben Affleck had high praise for Jennifer Garner, calling her a fantastic actress and affirming that he still wants to work with his ex-wife in the future.
Photo: Reuters
Ben Affleck realized this might lead viewers to draw parallels to their real-life romantic history. "I spoke to Jen and she said, 'We shouldn't do that. It just makes things more complicated and more likely to be misunderstood,'" Ben Affleck revealed.
The actor affirmed that he would still very much like to work with his ex-wife in the future: "Honestly, I would love to work with her. She's amazing, we're very good friends, and I'm incredibly grateful to her. Our relationship is great right now. But what you don't want is for preconceived notions and biases from the audience to become a disadvantage for the film." Ultimately, the role initially considered for Jennifer Garner went to Kerry Washington.
Despite the end of their marriage, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner maintain a close relationship as parents to their three children, often appearing together at important family occasions. This past August, Ben Affleck also celebrated his 54th birthday with his ex-wife and children in Santa Monica, USA.